Fairy Tail - Changed Fate
by The 0bservanc3
Summary: For every decision, there is an unlimited number of outcomes. For every choice, there are ripples. See an all new Earthland, one where a single difference in choice leads Lucy Heartfilia to meet a certain salmon-haired dragon slayer much, much earlier. Just how far will these ripples go? Let the change begin! Naluzara, Gruvia, Gajevy, Laxana, and many more.
1. To Start A Journey

**.**

 **We are the 0bservanc3.**

 **We do NOT own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, nor any characters seen within this timeline.**

 **Well… perhaps one or two not seen elsewhere…**

 **Read on…**

 **And see how even small changes can alter the world.**

 **Fairy Tail – Changed Fate**

 **Ch.1 To Start A Journey**

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Narrator:

 _In a land, far far away, lies the Kingdom of Fiore—a small peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most magic is just merely a tool—a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art and they've devoted their lives to its practice._

 _These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that would no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name… is Fairy Tail._

YEAR X777 – Forest Area – The Day It All Went Down

A lush forest spread itself across acres of wilderness. The trees basked in the heat of the summer sun, dancing in the breeze while brush and undergrowth fought for room to expand. What streams cut their way through the land sparkled merrily as they babbled along their routes. A single settlement, too small to be considered a small city but large enough to have earned the title of booming town, was the only sign of human life. In the distance, a large mountain range stretched its rocky arm forward into the land beyond.

Narrator:

 _This unnamed forest touches on the outskirts of a town called Lapis Bula, one of the numerous outlaying villages of Fiore. It is here that agents of various merchant guilds go to resupply their stocks of gemstones of various worth, as the untouched wilderness is plentiful in such resources. It is also here that an event that will one day be marked in history books will soon occur._

In the forest, there was a tiny area where a small hill had prevented trees from growing. In this glade slumbered a young boy, appearing to be around eleven years old, wearing only a ragged pair of blue shorts held up by a rope and a scarf that appeared to be made of white scale-like material. The most shocking attribute of the boy however was not his dress, but his hair. It was pi~—salmon colored, and held no semblance of ever having been managed in any way. This was Natsu Dragneel. And he was fighting a losing battle against waking up.

Natsu groaned against the light of the sun that was battering his poor eyelids. He flung an arm over his face, hoping that would be enough to block the evil ball of fire in the sky from attacking him. It wasn't. Grumbling to himself as he rolled over, Natsu swore one day he would eat that sleep-ruining monster. As he lied there on the ground, reluctantly acknowledging that he was now awake, Natsu belatedly realized that something was wrong. He wasn't resting on the warm scales of his father's snout. Come to think of it, a deep sniff of the air revealed Igneel's scent wasn't anywhere around him.

Natsu's eyes snapped open as he jumped up.

"Hey you overgrown lizard, what's the big idea?" Natsu shouted angrily into the air. How dare that old fart just up and leave him? He'd promised that if Natsu mastered another spell before the dragon's return from the last quote/unquote meeting then they'd go to the next one together. Well the spell was mastered, and he still got left behind!

"Ah damn it! Arrgh!" Natsu stomped out his anger and spat a small gout of flame into the air, uncaring that the tree closest to him caught fire before the stream dissipated. All he cared about now was showing that stupid old lizard what happened when he broke promises. He'd wait however long it took for the dragon to get back, and when he did, oh that useless sack of scales would pay.

Growling, Natsu slumped his way to the top of the mound of earth he'd been left on and dropped himself into a cross-legged position. Huffing, the young boy clenched his eyes shut and inhaled a massive breath before letting it out as slowly as he could. If he was going to have to wait, he might as well do that stupid medi-whatever Igneel had told him about and try to visualize his Magic container again. If Igneel said it was something that all dragon slayers knew how to do, then he'd do it—no matter how utterly boring the whole thing seemed to be. He didn't get how sitting and breathing could help him beat a dragon, but whatever.

 _ **Timeskip**_ **–** _ **Ten Days Later**_

Natsu tried to hide it, from whom he didn't know, but he tried to hide his growing anxiety. Igneel still hadn't returned. This was the longest he'd been away from whatever temporary nest they'd made… ever. The only time that came close to this was one week a long time ago when the old lizard had forced him to go through survival training.

But even then, a small voice whispered in the back of his head, Igneel had told him what was going on, and when he'd be back. This time, he'd said nothing. He'd just… disappeared.

Natsu wilted on his spot on the hill as he mulled over dark thoughts that had been niggling their way into his mind. _'Has he abandoned me?_ _Was I just a waste of time?_ _Did I do something wrong?'_ When the tears that threatened to fall from this line of thinking clouded his eyes too much, Natsu punched himself in the face to push them down. It was stupid to think that, he decided. He'd done everything the dragon had ever asked of him, he'd even done that medi-whatever and been able to visualize his Magic container—he would have done it sooner if the old scale-face had told him it would look like an awesome flame. Igneel had even called him his son. He'd said family never abandoned family; there was no way he'd just leave if he could help it.

That's it!

An idea popped into Natsu's head. He jumped up from his spot and leapt up onto a nearby tree, climbing it with ease. Natsu stared wide-eyed at the sprawling world before him—the forest, the mountains, the little town over there, and beyond. Somewhere out in all that, Igneel was waiting for him. He could be hurt, or some dark wizards could have used some evil spell to capture him. A determined look settled on Natsu's face. It was up to him to find Igneel—wherever he was—and then they could be together again.

"IGNEEL! WHERE ARE YOU?" Natsu yelled out, knowing that he'd probably not get a response. Sure enough, no answer came to his echoing voice. "WHEREVER YOU ARE, I'LL FIND YOU!" he yelled out again. Natsu bowed his head. "That's a promise."

A deep rumble shook the air. Natsu grabbed his stomach as a hunger pain shot through him. He'd start looking for Igneel… soon. Right now, he needed food. Maybe that small town he could barely see had something?

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YEAR X777 – Heartfilia Railway Train – Same Time

A lengthy machine of wood and steel blasted its way down a set of iron tracks that cut through the wilderness. The train sped along smoothly, with no bumps or jolts felt by its occupants; such was the skill with which it had been crafted. From above, one could see that its destination was obviously the quiet town of Lapis Bula.

Narrator:

 _This is one of the numerous trains that run on the Heartfilia Railways, a part of the famous Heartfilia Konzern. This particular train is a marvel, as are the treasures it regularly freights from one end of Fiore to the other. However, today its most precious cargo is not a crate or box, but comes in the form of a young girl._

With her face pressed against the glass of her compartment's window, a small ten-year-old girl, wearing a pretty floral sundress of the lightest pink, stared through tear-blurred eyes at the world speeding by her. The quietly sobbing child sat back, pushing a stray lock of blonde, star-kissed hair back into its rightful place behind an ear. This little girl was Lucy Heartfilia, heir to the Heartfilia family.

 _'Why? Why would Daddy say those things?'_ Lucy thought to herself. _'What am I gonna do now?'_ She felt more tears flow down her cheeks as the memory of what had happened not a day prior forced itself to the forefront of her mind's eye.

 _ **Flashback**_

She saw her father's office door open before her. She saw the man who should have been her pillar after her mother's death, silhouetted by the setting sun glaring through the window behind him, working away. She saw, only now, as she looked back, the scowl that he barely suppressed when he realized she had come to him again. She saw herself skipping to him in her pink sundress as she called out, pleading with him to play with her. She saw herself call out again when no answer came from her father, just more scribbling. Then all she could see was his tall imposing shadow as he stood and roared at her that she was being an incredibly stupid little girl and she needed to grow up and become a lady already. That as a Heartfilia she was expected to be a pinnacle of society and pinnacles did not waste their time on childish games.

After his outburst he had gone straight back to his papers, as if he hadn't just shattered the already fragile world she had just pieced back together. She had fought back hot tears as she apologized for wasting his time and backtracked out of the room. She had soon lost the fight with her tears and had then run through the halls to her room as they poured down her face. One of the house servants closest to her, Spetto, had caught sight of her as she escaped to her room and followed. Not a minute had passed as she cried her heart out on her bed before she had heard the knock on her door.

"What happened Lucy-sama? What's wrong?" she had kindly asked. Choking on sobs, Lucy had tried to answer, however, nothing but blubbering had come out. Softly, Spetto had let herself in and sat next to her. Lucy had thrown herself at the gentle purple haired woman. In response, Spetto had silently taken her into her arms and rubbed her back. When the tears had slowed, Spetto had stood her up slowly. Face to face, the woman had gently used a handkerchief to dry the remaining waterworks.

"It'll be okay Lucy-sama. Whatever happened I'm sure the master can fix it," Spetto had soothed. That had set Lucy off again, and more tears flowed. It was then that Spetto must have realized she had made a horrible mistake, and that it was Jude Heartfilia that had made her so upset. But it was too late. Lucy had frozen, her mind a whirl of memories of life before her mother's death, her father's recent behavior, and the painful encounter she had just had.

The flashing memories had blurred until Lucy's overactive imagination had taken the lead and she had seen into the future. She had seen an older her, reduced from the lively girl she was to a lifeless doll her father moved around like a chess piece through his bids for power. She had seen herself imprisoned at extravagant parties she hated. She had seen herself being married off to an old, fat man who didn't love her as her father counted large piles of jewels. She had seen herself live and die unhappy.

She had refused this reality.

Lucy had roughly pushed Spetto away… or as roughly away as a ten-year-old could push an adult, meaning she hardly moved the woman. Her cherubic face had hardened with a determined frown. She had decided to live her own future.

Before Spetto had been able to ask what had caused her change in behavior, Lucy had run over to her nightstand and opened the top drawer. Digging inside, she had removed the false bottom—she had had a servant put it in when her father had first yelled at her about learning her mother's magic and threatened to take measures if he found anymore traces of it—and pulled out her most prized possession. The golden key had shone brightly as she held it in the dim light of the room. On the end of the key's urn-like bow, two sapphire blue symbols that resembled stylized Us—or waves—had almost seemed to glow. She had revealed her secret, the Golden Key of the Water Bearer, Aquarius—her only tie to her mother after her death.

Lucy had seen Spetto's eyes widen, and how her hand had dived into her pocket. She had then ignored the woman and darted away, running out of the room. She had heard Spetto calling after her, but she had kept running. She had slipped through a side door out of the mansion before the older woman had caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Lucy-sama! You can't just run off like that child. Where are you going?" Spetto had cried. Lucy had refused to be held for long, and shook off Spetto's grip. Whirling on the woman, Lucy had pointed the golden key in her hand at Spetto as threateningly as she could.

"Don't try to s-stop me! I'm l-leaving," Lucy had shouted, her young mind had cursed at her stuttering. "F-father doesn't w-want me, and I don't w-wanna be here. I w-wanna be like Mama, and m-make her proud." Lucy had glared at Spetto as the woman had stared back at her. She had known that look. Spetto had always used it when she was considering what clothes to lay out for Lucy, or how long she should make her bath. Spetto was judging her. She had been surprised then, when the woman had sighed and lifted up the hand Lucy hadn't noticed she'd been keeping behind her back, and she had noticed what was in that hand—a golden key. The key had a red symbol like the number 69 on its bow and its teeth looked like a crab.

Lucy had sputtered, her own key-laden hand dropping. Spetto had looked from Lucy to the golden key in her hand and her face had slowly changed from a look of judgment to one of utter devotion. The woman had then sighed.

"I suppose this was going to happen sooner or later, eh Cancer-san?" Spetto had asked the key. Lucy's mind had restarted at that point, and she had again pointed Aquarius's key at the woman, this time accusingly.

"What are you doing with one of Mama's keys?" she had shouted. She had remembered all the stories her mother had told her about her three spirits—Aquarius, Cancer, and Capricorn—and the adventures they had had. She had remembered that when she had asked where their keys were now, her mother had smiled softly and said they were somewhere safe. And when her degrading health had taken that sudden turn for the worst, she had gazed, wide-eyed as her mother had shown her Aquarius's key. Her world had then been rocked as her mother had handed the golden key to her, telling her to keep it close to her heart while reminding her again that a celestial wizard's spirits were friends, family, and not tools.

How had Spetto gotten one of her mother's precious keys?

"Don't be angry child. Your mother gave Cancer to me years ago. I was to hold onto him until there came a day when you might begin to walk the same path she once had," Spetto had calmly stated. Lucy hadn't known what to do with that information.

"Why don't you come back to the mansion Lucy? I wasn't the only one your mother taught Celestial Magic to," Spetto had continued. Lucy's wide eyes had stretched farther at the revelation. She hadn't known that either. "Come back Lucy, and we will teach you your mother's magic," Spetto had bargained. Lucy had dropped her head as indecision pulsed through her young mind. She hadn't known what she should do. She didn't want to stay at the mansion anymore, didn't want the life that it would lead to, but it looked like it was the only way to grab onto another piece of her mother's memory.

Narrator:

 _In other worlds exactly like this one but for a tiniest of differences, other Lucys stood while considering the same decision. Most would ponder and wonder, and yet see no other option but to stay in their father's mansion, under their tyrannical thumbs, so that they could learn their mothers' magic and get closer to them. This Lucy too, was about to make that same fateful decision, when…_

A glimmer had caught Lucy's eye as the conflicting thoughts had begun to cloud her mind. Even in the daylight, the two golden keys had gleamed unnaturally bright. While her memory of what happened next wasn't exactly clear, she had noticed that it looked like the world had dimmed to just those two glowing keys. She didn't know how, but she had felt that Cancer's key was calling to her. The strange internal feeling had flowed through her, and without thinking about it, she had answered that call.

Narrator:

 _And in that act of answering, Lucy Heartfilia, without even knowing it herself, created a ripple that would change this particular Earthland far more than she could have ever imagined._

Head still bowed, Lucy had closed her eyes and looked inward. And she had seen it; the twinkling star inside of her that her mother had taught her was her fledgling Magic container. Unsure of exactly what she was doing, Lucy had reached out and touched the star. Almost seeming to be giddy to help, the star had responded. A throb of power had rushed through her body, apparently following her wish to answer Cancer's call. Lucy had panicked at the unexpected feelings rolling through her, and raised her empty hand in an instinctual reaction to ward off the roaring tide of energy.

In a flash of golden light, the Golden Key of the Giant Crab had flashed out of Spetto's hand and, a split second later, into Lucy's raised one. Struck by shock, the purple haired woman had stared slack-jawed at Lucy, who now held a key in each hand.

"R-requip magic?" Spetto had murmured, almost too softly for Lucy to hear. A sudden realization had struck Lucy at that moment; she had just stolen something. Worse, she had just stolen something her mother had gifted to a trusted friend. Guilt had immediately risen up and washed away the warm feeling her magic had suffused within her. Horrified, she had turned and fled, afraid and ashamed. Once again, her tears had accompanied her.

 _ **Flashback END**_

The shuddering of the train sliding to a stop rocked Lucy back to the present. The crackling of the train's intercom grabbed her attention.

"This is Lapis Bula Station, I repeat, this is Lapis Bula Station. Please exit from the left-side doors. Next stop-" Lucy didn't bother to listen to the rest of the announcement, this was where she wanted to go. Getting off here was better than riding to the end of the line; there was less chance anyone looking for her would think to stop here. Of course, that meant her father actually had to notice she was gone and care enough to have someone bring her back…so she might have been fine anyway. But Lucy decided to be careful anyway.

Standing, Lucy made sure the two golden keys she had fled with were still in her clenched fist—they were—and exited the train. Still staring at the keys, Lucy slowly walked through the homey town, lost in thought.

 _'How could I have just taken Cancer's key from Spetto like that? She looked like she really loved it,'_ Lucy thought to herself. _'There's no way he'd ever want to make a contract with me now… or even be able to.'_ Lucy slumped as she realized just how bad she had screwed up. Her first action as a celestial spirit mage had been to steal another's key. Her mother would be ashamed of her. The tears from earlier made a rousing comeback.

Blinded by her tears, and worry about the two keys clenched in a trembling fist, Lucy had no chance of avoiding the body she ran into. Nor did she have any chance of avoiding yet another change to the fate of the world.

"Kyaah!"

Unprepared for the collision, Lucy slammed backward into the ground. Pain lanced through her body and she crumbled into herself.

"Omph! Hey, watch where you-" The angry voice of the person Lucy had run into suddenly cut itself off.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!" Lucy, still curled into herself, blinked her watery eyes open. And immediately blushed. Staring back at her from his position on the ground was a boy who looked to be around her age, wearing only a pair of ragged shorts and a long white scarf. Realizing she was staring at his bare chest, Lucy tore her eyes away and locked onto his face. That didn't help as much as she thought it would because she then saw the most shocking feature of the boy. His hair was pink!

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YEAR X777 – The Town of Lapis Bula – Same Time

Natsu didn't know what to do with himself. After scrounging up something to eat from the trash heap behind the town's tavern, he'd decided to start his search for Igneel. He'd thought surely the people of this town would have noticed Igneel as he had flown away, they were close to his territory after all. There was no way the big lizard could have escaped notice.

Or at least, that's what he'd thought. Walking around the town, everyone he'd ask had told him the same thing. No dragon, especially not a big red one, had been seen in the area for a long time. Aggravated, Natsu had stomped off blindly. He hadn't gotten far before he had crashed into someone, falling to the ground. Already frustrated, Natsu had started shouting before he even knew what'd hit him.

"Omph! Hey, watch where you-" Then he'd seen what, or who, he was yelling at. Natsu could have sworn the world shifted, but it was probably just his imagination, when he caught sight of the small, golden haired girl that was cowering before him. She was tiny (or maybe he was just big?) regardless she looked incredibly vulnerable all hunched over on the ground. Then her smell hit him. The breath he'd pulled in to continue shouting finally registering two things in his brain.

One, the girl smelled strongly of vanilla and morning dew, and he liked it. Like, a lot. More than any cooked meat Igneel had made for dinner after a long day of training. The fragrance set his mind spinning for a moment, and if Natsu had been older he would have realized the feeling of his world's shifting solidify.

Two, the girl also smelled like water with hints of salt. That's when Natsu realized she was crying. A lot. And that's when his panic had set in. Igneel had spent weeks drilling human social rules into his head—he still had the bumps to prove it—and making a girl cry was a big no-no. He had to make this right. Somehow.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!" Natsu shouted. The girl opened her tearful eyes and gazed up at Natsu. He took note of how big her chocolate colored orbs looked before the face they were attached to turned the color of Igneel's scales. _'Oh shit!'_ Natsu internally screamed. _'What did I do now? Why is she changing colors?'_

Pulling himself out of his internal screaming, Natsu noticed the girl was looking at his face intently, the red hue still present in her skin. What was he supposed to do now? Igneel never mentioned that humans could change colors, especially not when they cried. Was that why guys were supposed to make sure that girls didn't cry? Was this girl gonna die?

Scrambling, Natsu tried to stand up so he could check to see what was wrong with the girl. However, the young dragon boy didn't see that his scarf had snuck its way underneath his feet in all the commotion after the two collided. This resulted in him nearly choking himself as the scarf caught under his feet and pulled tightly on his neck. More shocked than in pain when his head was suddenly yanked back, Natsu fell over again.

Lucy didn't know what to think about the pink haired boy. First he yelled at her, which she supposed she kind of deserved, and then he apologized when he noticed she was crying. Then, he tries to stand and trips on his own scarf. Lucy felt the bubbling before she could hold it in.

She laughed.

Natsu, still on the ground, froze at the sound of the little girl's laughter. It sounded nice. Like those bells he'd heard once when Igneel had sent him to a village during winter for a chore. And she'd stopped crying. Mission accomplished! He didn't know what he did, but everything was better now. A smile shone across his face at his good deed.

"That's better!" Natsu said, standing carefully this time. The girl clapped a hand over her grinning mouth and stared at him. "You're laugh sounds way better than your crying, you know?" The girl turned red again. Oh crap.

"Say, are you okay? You're redder than my dad, and he's a fire dragon," Natsu asked, concerned about the color-changing girl. What would Igneel say if he found out that Natsu had made a girl change color? How bad was that even?

"I'm o-okay," Lucy muttered through her hand. Luckily for Natsu, he had his advanced sense of hearing and heard the soft words. An incredibly large grin grew upon his face when he realized that everything was okay.

"That's great!" Natsu shouted. He stuck out a hand in front of the girl's face. Igneel had told him that humans didn't introduce themselves like dragons, instead they grabbed each other's talons—er, hands, and waved them up and down. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. Nice to meet ya."

Lucy stared at the hand that had been shoved in her face. _'What's going on?_ _Who is this kid? Did he say dragon?'_ Hesitantly, Lucy slipped her hand into the boy's, a small smile growing on her face. No reason to be impolite she supposed, strange or not.

"I'm Lucy. Lucy H-" Lucy slammed her mouth shut before she let slip her last name. She didn't know this Natsu, and even though he looked and seemed nice, the more people that knew who she was, the higher the chances were that someone on her father's payroll would eventually find her. Lucy looked up and saw that Natsu was looking at her expectantly. "Just Lucy," she covered her near-mistake with a hesitant laugh. Natsu's smile grew even bigger.

"Awesome!" Natsu shouted, starting to wave Lucy's hand up and down like he thought was he was supposed to. Lucy giggled at how much concentration it looked like Natsu was putting into shaking hands. A thoughtful look abruptly grew on Natsu's face. "Say, you wouldn't've happened to have seen a red dragon flying around the area would you?"

Lucy blinked. Then blinked again. He really had said dragon earlier.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't. I'm not actually from around here, so… Sorry," she said. Natsu shook his head, expecting that response.

"Wait, you're really looking for a dragon?" Natsu's smile dimmed at Lucy's question and he looked up at the sky.

"Yeah," Natsu began. "My dad Igneel is a dragon. I mean… he raised me since before I can remember. He taught me magic, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff too." Natsu's smile slipped further. "But just a week and a half ago or so, he just disappeared. He's never been gone this long and I'm worried something's happened to him."

Lucy's heart went out to the poor boy in front of her. She knew what it was like for a beloved parent to disappear. Even though she had been able to say goodbye to her mother, the pain of her absence was still hard for her to deal with. And Natsu didn't even know where his father figure was? She couldn't imagine that kind of pain.

Lucy didn't even notice that the idea of not taking Natsu at his word about being raised by a dragon hadn't even crossed her mind. Lucy tilted her head in confusion when she noticed Natsu's smile had firmed back up.

"That's why I'm out here. I've decided that I'm going to find that old lizard and beat his ass for leaving me behind," he said. Lucy was shocked. _'He's my age, and he's going to go out and look for a dragon? Is he crazy?'_

"Wait a second! Aren't you too young to go running around by yourself?" Lucy questioned. "Shouldn't you wait 'til you're older?" Natsu stared at Lucy. ' _She kind of has a point… I guess. No matter how awesome I am, I'm only one person. It's gonna take forever to find Igneel by myself.'_

At that moment, Natsu caught sight of the hand that he had given to Lucy to shake. It was still intertwined with hers, and both hands were still waving up and down in the air. _'Huh. How did I not notice that?'_ he thought. Natsu's eyes traveled up Lucy's arm to the girl's face and settled once again on her brown eyes, his thoughts all the while on what she had said about being by himself.

He had a great idea!

Meanwhile, Lucy had also realized that their hands were still connected. She fought the blush that threatened to reclaim her face, guessing that Natsu hadn't figured it out yet. Glancing at the strange boy she'd literally run into, Lucy caught sight of a flash that blazed through his eyes. She tried to pull away from whatever crazy was about to explode out of Natsu, but the grip he had on her hand, while not painful, was unbreakable.

"Lucy, I just had a great idea!" Natsu shouted. "Why don't you look for Igneel with me?" Lucy's jaw dropped comically, her eyes rounding to white circles. She couldn't believe what he'd just said. Had she heard him correctly?

"W-what!? Why would I do that? Why would you want me of all people?" Lucy's voice climbed higher and higher as her emotions took an extreme turn. Her mother dying, her father becoming so cruel, running away from home, and stealing from Spetto—all of it suddenly became too much with the addition of the offer from the boy in front of her. _'Too much… Too much…'_

"Isn't that what friends do? Go do things together?" Natsu asked. His brow furrowed, showing his confusion at Lucy's reaction. They'd shaken hands, so they were friends now right? So shouldn't Lucy be happy to help him? _'She's weird.'_

Natsu's statement washed over Lucy's thoughts, and she felt her building panic suddenly break as this new consideration came into play. _'Friend? H-he wants to be my f-friend?'_

"F-friends?" Lucy asked, just to be sure. Natsu smiled brightly back at her.

"Well yeah, we are friends right?" he asked back. Lucy glanced between their still joined hands and Natsu's beaming face. For some reason, Lucy felt like she could trust this strange boy. He had apologized—even though their collision was her fault—made her laugh—even if it was an accident—and just called her a friend. She'd never had a real friend before, one that didn't work for her father. Lucy knew her mind was made up before she'd even finished thinking it over. She felt her slight frown turn into a true smile, one she hadn't released since long before her mother died.

"Yeah, we are friends Natsu."

Natsu felt the strangest thing come over him when he saw Lucy smile. As the son of the Fire Dragon King, Igneel had helped him make his body like that of a fire dragon—he could eat fire, bathe in fire, and do almost anything else in and/or with the element. One of the side effects of that was that he hardly ever felt unpleasantly warm; his body naturally stoked his internal fire to the correct level to be comfortable. In spite of that, as Lucy smiled at him, Natsu felt a burning fire erupt in his stomach and blaze throughout his entire body. It didn't hurt, but he sure felt really weird. He'd have to ask Lucy about it some time. But for now…

"That's great! Let's go!" Natsu screamed before tugging on Lucy's hand. The small girl flew through the air behind the now running, and laughing, boy who was dragging her behind him. Lucy let loose screams of her own, ones of terror at how fast Natsu was going.

' _What have I gotten myself into?'_

Unbeknownst to either exiting youngster, from the shadows of an alley near them, an observing figure stepped forward. As the sun lit upon the individual, light reflected off of a pair of black sunglasses. Curled horns that jutted past the figure's face peeked out from the inky darkness as white fur shone. Unnaturally, a glowing eye glared through one of the lenses of the sunglasses.

"Could it be-e-e? Lucy-sa-a-ama?"

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 **Please RxR!**

 **Constructive criticism and questions are always welcome!**


	2. Stepping Forward to the Future

**.**

 **We are the 0bservanc3.**

 **We do NOT own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, nor any characters seen within this timeline.**

 **Well… perhaps one or two not seen elsewhere…**

 **Read on…**

 **And see how even small changes can alter the world.**

 **Fairy Tail – Changed Fate**

 **Ch.2 Stepping Forward to the Future**

 **)|(**

Narrator:

 _In a land, far far away, lies the Kingdom of Fiore—a small peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most magic is just merely a tool—a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art and they've devoted their lives to its practice._

 _These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that would no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name… is Fairy Tail._

YEAR X777 – Outside of the Town of Lapis Bula

Lucy, still flying through the air, had long ago stopped screaming her head off as Natsu dragged her along. After all of the buildings in town had stopped whizzing by, she'd realized her new friend wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Lucy felt her face heat up as a blush crept across her pale skin. He'd called them friends so easily, it made her feel strangely warm. She couldn't believe how crazy everything had become.

Suddenly, Natsu stopped running. Lucy, still holding onto his hand, flew into his back as a cloud of swirling dust and dirt settled around them. With an ' _oomph_ ,' both children went crashing to the floor.

"Ah! Lucy, why the heck did you fall on me?" Natsu whined. She was heavy for such a small girl. The red in Lucy's face grew, this time due to her rising anger.

"You can't just stop like that when you're dragging someone behind you! What did you think would happen?" she yelled. Natsu flinched as Lucy's loud voice boomed into his ear.

"Why are you yelling at me?" he asked. Shakily, Natsu lifted a hand and covered the offended ear. Lucy sat back, still on top of Natsu, just now realizing her mistake.

"Sorry Natsu," Lucy said, eyes downcast. She hoped he didn't hate her now, but he shouldn't have just stopped like that. "I was just surprised when you stopped. You've been dragging me for awhile now." Lucy crawled off Natsu and tried to stand. Her legs were a bit wobbly.

"Why did you stop anyway?"

Natsu jumped up, eyes wide. That's right, he'd almost forgot! He opened his mouth to tell Lucy, but a deep rumbling shook the air. Lucy, shaking, leapt forward and latched onto Natsu with the hand that wasn't holding her keys - the same one he'd taken earlier. Her head swiveled left, then right, looking for the source of the scary noise.

"W-what was that?" she whispered. When Natsu didn't immediately answer, she looked at him. Her gaze found a red-faced pinkette.

"Sorry about that," Natsu said. "I'm just hungry."

Lucy couldn't believe that horrible noise had come from her new friend. _'He isn't that much bigger than me, there is no way he made such a sound,'_ she thought. Another rumble began. This time, Natsu grabbed his stomach as he slumped to the ground, and out of Lucy's grip, moaning. She stared, wide eyed. His stomach really was making that sound!

"L-lucy…" Natsu forced her name out through clenched teeth. He reached a trembling hand up to the blonde girl. He mumbled something, but Lucy couldn't hear what. Falling to her knees, she stuck her ear as close to his mouth as possible.

"I can't hear you Natsu. What can I do? What do you need?" she asked her friend. He mumbled something again. "I still can't hear you Natsu. Please, tell me how I can help!"

"F… fi—," Natsu gasped out. Lucy felt tears begin to sting her eyes. She couldn't help him if he didn't tell her what she could do.

"F-fire."

Lucy blinked. She'd heard what he'd had said that time, but had she heard him right? Fire? How was fire going to help? They had no food to cook to begin with.

"I don't understand Natsu, how will fire help?" Lucy pleaded. Natsu looked as if he was about to speak, but collapsed face first onto the ground. Panicking, Lucy looked around for help. Natsu had stopped them in the middle of a forest. There was nothing around that could help them here. No people. Nothing.

Wait…

Lucy listened hard, sure she could hear something familiar. Above Natsu's groans and pained breathing came the wonderful sound of rushing water! Thinking fast, Lucy grabbed Natsu by an arm and tried to drag him toward the water source.

Key word: tried.

Even pulling with all the strength she had, she couldn't move him an inch. Unwilling to let go of the last remnants of her mother, Lucy let go of Natsu and stood back. Glancing from the golden keys to the pinkette, she tried to think, but her thoughts just kept racing too quickly to concentrate.

Shaking her head furiously, Lucy made her decision. She just hoped it was the right one.

Turning away from the downed Natsu, Lucy took off running toward the sound of water she'd heard. Breathing hard, she pushed past every bush and bramble that tried to grab her now ruined dress. She couldn't afford to let her new friend down. Still…

 _'She's going to be SO mad at me for this…'_ the thought pounded through Lucy's head as her feet did the same across the forest floor. Crashing through the leaves of another low hanging tree limb, Lucy slowed to a stop. Sunlight burst into her vision as the vegetation she'd been racing through came to an abrupt end. She'd made it!

Indeed, snaking its way across the land was a wide and blue river. Lucy, still breathing quite raggedly from her sudden run, made her way to the river's bank. Glancing down, Lucy paused a moment at the sight looking back at her. The girl in the river was blonde, like her, and had brown eyes like hers, but that's where the expected similarities ended. The girl staring at Lucy was shaking from physical exertion, her mouth gapping as she dragged in large gulps of air. Her dress was torn and covered in dirt and grime, not to mention leaves. Her blonde hair was a wild mess of twigs too. This girl looked nothing like a princess of the Heartfilia family should.

Lucy couldn't help it as laughter replaced her labored breathing. This was why she wanted to leave the mansion. There was no way this could have happened in her father's perfect little world. Her legs were aching, her chest was killing her, she looked a mess, but Lucy Heartfilia basked in the feeling of utter freedom that rose inside her at the sight of her wild appearance.

That was, until she remembered why she was so crazed looking in the first place. Natsu was in trouble! Lucy took one last, deep breath. She opened the fist that had held the two golden keys she'd been carrying since she'd run away from home. Pushing the rising guilt aside for now, she slipped Cancer's key into one of her dress's two pockets. Raising the remaining key as high as she could, Lucy steeled her heart and swung it down, plunging it into the cold water below.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" Lucy screamed to the heavens. A loud _ding-dong_ resounded through the air as a bright flash of light erupted in the middle of the river. With an explosion of water and light, a marvelous sight arose from the body of water. Clad in only a royal blue bikini top that matched the color of her long fish-tailed lower body, the mermaid known as Aquarius swung her head back, flinging her aquamarine hair with it, as she raised a beautifully made urn above her. A scowl immediately marred her otherwise ethereally beautiful face.

"What the hell is this brat?" Aquarius shouted. Lucy flinched from the scathing tone, but held strong. "I didn't give you permission to call me today. And where are we anyway?"

"I-I know you didn't, and I'm s-sorry," Lucy said, pocketing the angry spirit's key. "But I really, really need your help!" She gestured behind her toward where she'd left Natsu. "My friend just collapsed and I don't know how to help him. Please! Do something!"

The celestial mermaid glared at the blonde child in front of her as tears began to pour down the girl's face. Aquarius grit her teeth in aggravation.

"What the hell do you want me to do about it? Do I look like a doctor?" Aquarius barked. Lucy shook her head furiously in response.

"N-No. B-but you have to help. You're the only one who can," Lucy said. Aquarius furrowed her brow in confusion. She didn't understand. The brat literally had an army of servants to attend to her every whim, why couldn't one of them help her.

"Tch. Why don't you get one of your servants to help your little friend?" Aquarius sneered. Her sneer turned to a frown as Lucy began to shake her head again. Aquarius suddenly felt chills sweep down her spine for some reason.

"You don't understand. I ran away!" Lucy uncharacteristically shouted at her angry spirit. "I don't have anything or anyone anymore. Just you and Natsu. Please, you have to help him I'm begging you!" Aquarius froze in shock. The brat had run away from home? Irritation morphed to actual rage as the celestial mermaid regarded her young summoner.

"What the hell were you thinking running away from home?" she shouted. Lucy, head now bowed, refused to respond. Bending, Aquarius lowered her face closer to the blonde's. "Answer me brat! Why. Did. You. Run. AWAY?" Aquarius felt her remaining patience dropping quickly as Lucy's teary silence continued.

"H-hey! Stop… Stop being mean to Lucy you… you fish-lady!" came a haggard cry from behind Lucy. She and a now even more pissed off Aquarius looked up to their intruder. Natsu, still holding his stomach in pain and breathing heavily, stood pressed against a tree with an accusing finger pointed straight at Aquarius.

"No one… and I m-mean… no one gets away with h-hurting… my friends!" Natsu gasped out. He promptly fell flat on his face again, all remaining energy have been expended finding Lucy after he had woken up to find she had gone.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, breaking away from Aquarius' interrogation. The celestial mermaid stared hard at the two children as her blonde summoner ran to the weirdly pink-haired boy and tried to get him to stand up.

 _'Hmp… I can't believe this. How can one brat be so much trouble?'_ she thought. Sighing, Aquarius released her urn, which disappeared in a flash of light, and floated over to a struggling Lucy. She proceeded to lift the collapsed Natsu into the air with one hand.

"This is the one you're so concerned with brat?" Aquarius asked with a growl. Seeing Lucy's quick nod in response, Aquarius glared at the boy in her hand, shaking him slightly. "Well, what's wrong with you pinky?"

"Well… he did say he was hungry… you know, before…" Lucy said when no answer came from Natsu. Aquarius glanced at her before returning her glare to Natsu.

"Seriously? You're just hungry? That's it? By the way she's been blubbering over there, I thought you were on death's door or something," Aquarius said. Her opinion of this pink haired brat lowered even further than it already was. Without a backwards glance, the celestial mermaid threw Natsu over her shoulder. Lucy screamed in surprise as her friend flew through the air before landing in the river with a large geyser of water.

"Why would you do that? He's gonna drown? You killed him!" Lucy sobbed. Aquarius slumped with a sigh, her summoner really got on her nerves. Grabbing the crying blonde by a hand and hoisting her up into a surprisingly gentle carrying position, Aquarius turned and floated back to the river. Holding Lucy over the water, she pointed.

"Just shut up and look brat."

Lucy rubbed her face hurriedly so she could see what her spirit was pointing to. Looking down, she gasped.

The river was full of fish! There were so many of the scaled swimmers in the waters that they were literally packed to the gills. Lucy gasped again as she saw a figure moving about in the water. It was Natsu!

Indeed, it was Natsu. The frigidity of the river water had shocked him into conscious focus. When he had opened his eyes, scores and scores of fish had greeted his sight. At that moment, his hunger had made an immediate comeback, and he'd acted.

Darting out both hands, Natsu grabbed fish after fish and shoved them into his mouth. Feeling his empty stomach slowly fill, Natsu continued to devour any fish unlucky enough to come within arm's reach. When the need for air became too much for even his draconic lungs to handle, Natsu swung his arms around, up, and down as Igneel had taught him and shot to the surface of the river.

Breaking the surface, Natsu inhaled a deep breath and let out a shout of joy. That had been the best raw fish he'd ever eaten. He'd have to remember to come back to this river some day. Remembering the reason he was in the river in the first place, Natsu looked around for Lucy and the mean fish-lady who'd thrown him. They were nowhere to be found.

"Ugh, look up you idiot."

Looking up, Natsu freaked. The fish-lady was carrying Lucy with one hand while glaring at him. What was worse, the fish-lady was flying!

"What the heck? I thought you were a fish-lady, how are you flying?" Natsu shouted at the spirit. A grunt escaped his lips as Aquarius snatched him from the river and raised him up so they were eye to eye.

"I'm a celestial spirit dipshit, not a fish-lady," Aquarius growled at the insolent boy. "And where's my thank you for saving your sorry ass?" she demanded. Natsu returned her glare and crossed his arms, looking away.

"I ain't gonna thank some fish-lady who makes my friend cry," he said. Aquarius's eye twitched at the attitude from the pinkette. With a roar, she reared back and threw Natsu away. Again flying through the air, Natsu wasn't as lucky as before and hit a large oak tree with a _thump_! Sliding down to the ground, Natsu could have sworn he saw tiny dancing fish-ladies circling his head. Hoisting Lucy up much like she had Natsu, Aquarius glared at her shaking summoner.

"There. I helped," she snarled. "You'd better not call me again for a long-ass time brat." Lucy nodded her head in acquiescence. Aquarius smiled a smug little smile as she saw Lucy's frantically nodding face. Lowering the girl to the ground, Aquarius turned and began to float away. She stopped, frowning. "You'd better know what you're doing, running away like this. If anything should happen to you… Anyway, I'm going on a date with my boyfriend now! See ya!"

With a flash of golden light, the celestial mermaid returned to the world from whence she came.

"Yeah… you better run!" Natsu mumbled through his swirling eyes. Lucy, seeing the state of her friend, dashed to his side.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy asked. Inspecting him, she was shocked at what she saw. She'd never seen Aquarius throw someone around like that and they be perfectly fine, but besides a rather bulbously round bump on the back of his head, Natsu looked completely fine! Like a spring, the pink-haired boy jumped up, shaking off the dizziness from hitting the tree. He gave Lucy a thumbs-up.

"You bet Lucy! Fire would've been better, but fish did the trick too," he shouted merrily. Lucy gave him a perplexed look.

"What do you mean fire would've been better? You said you were hungry," she asked him, confused. Natsu stared at his blonde friend before a look of understanding settled upon his face.

"Didn't I tell you?" he asked. "I can eat fire."

"What?" Lucy shouted. He couldn't be serious? "Natsu you can't eat fire! You'll get burned!" Natsu scratched the back of his head, chuckling quietly. Igneel had mentioned that normal people couldn't do what they did. He wished he could show her, but he didn't have anything to make a fire with and the very idea of eating his own flames almost turned his stomach.

' _Oh well, I'll show her someday,'_ he thought.

"Nah, it's okay Lucy. I'll show you when-" A rumble, much quieter than the one that had come from Natsu's famished stomach, interrupted the dragon boy. Natsu looked around, wondering where the noise had come from before turning to Lucy to see if she had any idea. He stared, confused, when he saw that her face was red and her hands where now clutching her stomach.

"Lucy! What's wrong?" Natsu asked, becoming frantic that his blonde friend was changing color again. Lucy waved him off with a hand before clutching her stomach again.

"I-It's nothing Natsu. It's just… you kinda dragged me out of town before I could have anything to eat. I haven't had a meal since yesterday. And summoning Aquarius takes a lot out of me," Lucy explained. Natsu was horrified. Lucy had put herself in this position to help him and he'd eaten all those fish and hadn't even thought to save any for her! He was a terrible friend!

"I'll go and get you some fish right-"

"There is no ne-e-e-ed for that, boy-y-y," interrupted a deep, braying voice from behind the children. Natsu spun around, instinctively putting himself between Lucy and the unknown speaker. Neither Natsu nor Lucy could see who had spoken. Natsu cursed in his head, he hadn't even sensed a presence around them…

Even worse… he still couldn't.

"Who's there? Come out and show yourself!" Natsu shouted his demand into the seemingly empty forest. Abruptly, the sounds of nature: the birds, the insects, the very wind itself… fell away.

From behind a large tree stepped the strangest being either child had ever seen; and Lucy could summon a half-fish, half-woman from thin air and Natsu's father was a real life dragon. The figure looked similar to an incredibly tall man. It was covered in white fur, and had a pair of curved horns that sprouted from its head. The thing looked like a goat that had decided to be a man. It wore a pair of pitch-black sunglasses and a tattered suit. Stopping a short distance from the children, the goat thing raised an arm to its waist and… bowed from the waist like a robot with rusted joints.

"My name is… Caprico. I am at your ser-er-ervice, Lucy-sa-a-ama," The now named Caprico announced.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Town of Lapis Bula

The simple townsfolk of Lapis Bula were used to seeing the occasional oddly dressed fellow due to their train station. However, they wouldn't have been able to help themselves from stopping and staring at the strange sight that would have passed them by if they were walking down the town's main street at that very moment. To be fair, the man's dress wasn't the oddity at all. A yellow gi with green trim worn under a blue jacket that was topped by a bulbous red hat would have ranked about only twenty-seventh on the town's weirdness scale. It was the elderly man's size and demeanor that was so eye-catching. The widely grinning old man, carrying only a wooden staff with a strangely pink smiling face on it, was only the size of a ten year old.

Narrator:

 _This cheerful fellow is Makarov Dreyar. While he may not look it, he is much more than meets the eye. And unbeknownst to him, his simple trip to Lapis Bula is also about to become much more complicated._

Makarov hummed a tune as he beat an energetic march down the street. He was glad that he had decided to take this little trip out to the far country. Sure he could have sent one of his children to complete the chore, but it seemed like outside of Wizard saint and Guild Master meetings he hadn't left the guildhall in months. He needed this vacation.

Glancing around through eyes that looked almost completely shut, Makarov smiled at the purely rustic feeling around him. Compared to Magnolia's sprawling streets, Hargeon's wildly crisscrossing ones, or, Mavis-forbid, Crocus's utter chaos, the simple packed-dirt roads of Lapis Bula were refreshing. There were less people, less noise, and less chances he'd have to sit and watch as his children emptied his pocketbook with their destruction. It was relaxing.

" **RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRHHHH!"**

And there went his relaxation.

Every window in Lapis Bula exploded as the shockwave of a furious roar rent the air. An enormous torrent of glowing flames erupted from the wilderness outside of the town, shooting into the sky and tinting the world red. Makarov froze, the immense magical power radiating from the tower of fire had to be incredibly strong if he could feel its pressure from such a distance. The people of Lapis Bula flew into a panic, bodies fleeing incoherently in the madness.

With a speed that belied his age and size, Makarov turned and dashed towards the tornado of fire. Whatever the source of such magic, Makarov knew he had to investigate. He couldn't let the people of this town become endangered.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Eastern Fiore – Same Time

A small mountain range spikes upward surrounded by sprawling plains. Amongst the crags and crevices of the range one could see many caves dotting the titans of rock and stone.

" **RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRHHHH!"**

The self-same roar that shook Makarov in Lapis Bula rolled through the air, largely diminished by distance. Its power was such that even so far to the east it could be heard.

Out from one of the numerous caves in the mountain range came running a young teen. This boy wore a ragged pair of black pants and the barest hints of a shirt. The most notable feature of this young man, besides his spikey black hair and blood-red eyes, was the few metal studs that dotted his face and ears.

The young man spun around, straining his ears, trying to pinpoint where the roar that had awoken him had come from. For the first time since he had awoken alone, his father gone, hope seared through his chest, burning away the resentment and hate that had begun to fester. While not completely familiar, there was no mistaking that sound. He had to find its source!

Against his will, desperation shot across the boy's face. He couldn't do it… the roar was already too distorted by the distance it had traveled. All he could tell was that it had been from a western location.

Desperation was quickly wiped out by determination. The young boy squared his shoulders, glaring westerly. He would track down whatever made that noise. He would find his father. And kick his ass.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – North Western Fiore – Same Time

Through the relatively mild wilderness of the area snaked a well-traveled road. Upon this road many merchants, Fiorian citizens, and wizards had traveled, and would continue to do so for years to come.

" **RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRHHHH!"**

A small blue-haired girl, certainly looking no older than five years old, froze, nearly falling over, as the faint echo of a roar hit her ears. The slightly taller blue-haired boy she had been walking with noticed his companion had stopped unceremoniously.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

Tears began to spill from the young girl's eyes. Wordlessly, she grabbed the older boy's hand and began to run in the general direction she had heard the echo come from. Clueless, the boy followed with few complaints. The skies were still clear after all.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Central Fiore Area – Same Time

A deep blue river sliced through the never-ending ranks of the ancient forest. The trees, massive in their elderly age, blotted out the sun, creating a cool shade.

" **RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRHHHH!"**

Two young boys, one with the most golden hair to ever grace a child and the other with the blackest, sat snoring away under one of the more massive trees. Neither stirred from the echoed roar.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Outside of the Town of Lapis Bula – Moments Earlier

"My name is… Caprico. At your ser-er-ervice, Lucy-sa-a-ama," Caprico said.

Natsu and Lucy stared at the strange goat-man, unsure of how to process the sight before them. Even raised by a dragon as he was, Natsu was stumped. Lucy didn't know what to think either, but something in her belly roiled against the intruder even as her mind seemed to itch at his presence. Something was off.

"Come along Lucy-sa-a-ama, we should b-e-e-e leaving now," Caprico bleated. The goat-man stepped toward the two stunned children, a large hand reaching for the blonde child.

Lucy instinctually slipped farther behind Natsu, her fingers digging into his back just as she had done with her mother when she'd been introduced to some new dignitary or business partner of her father's. She was momentarily taken aback at how warm Natsu was, his very being radiated heat.

Natsu, unsure on how to act until now, took Lucy's reaction and rolled with it. If she didn't want to go with the weird goat-man, then she wasn't going to go with him. And _he_ was going to make sure of it. They were friends after all.

"Hey! Back off fuzzhead!" Natsu said, whipping out an accusatory finger at the approaching Caprico. "Lucy doesn't want to go with you. Leave her alone!" The advancing Caprico slowed to a stop. Though neither child could see through his black sunglasses, there was no doubt the goat-man's attention had turned from Lucy to the shouting pinkette.

"You would da-a-are stop me-e-e, boy-y-y? Caprico asked lowly. Natsu spit out a grim, snarling glare.

"If Lucy doesn't want to go with you, then hell yeah I'll dare," Natsu shouted. Lucy clenched her eyes shut. The roiling and itching was getting worse, and neither came from hunger. The bad feelings she got from this Caprico guy… they were almost like…

"Natsu, look out!"

The warning came too late. Caprico snapped out an open palm and an invisible wave of magic burst forth. Lucy held tight to Natsu as she felt the force of the attack send her flying back. Her grip was strong, so as they went sailing she didn't get separated from him. Both children slammed into trees behind them.

"I will not allow an ur-r-rchin like you to interfe-e-ere," Caprico bleated angrily. He waved the outstretched palm and Lucy was, once more feeling the grip of an invisible force, picked up and pulled towards him. Natsu's eyes shot open, rage consuming him as he saw his friend being taken. The blonde girl tried to wiggle out of the invisible hold, but it was useless. Natsu watched Lucy's terror filled gaze lock onto him as Caprico's furred grip latched onto the front of her dress, effortlessly holding her off the ground.

"Let me go! Natsu!"

Caprico's hidden eyes bugged out behind their darkened lenses as the pinkette in front of him burst into flame. The heat was so intense that the goat-man could feel his fur crisping from across the glade. The burning boy took a step forward, and Caprico had to fight the sudden instinctual urge to take a step back when he noticed the look in the child's eyes.

"Let. Lucy. Go," Natsu grunted, punctuating each word with a step. "Right. Now!" Natsu's fire was suddenly sucked inside his body. There was a moment of silence, but the oppressive weight of magic in the air caused Caprico to hesitate. He had never expected such power to come from a child so young, it was almost unbelievable.

Flicking his eyes to the blonde girl in his grasp, Caprico mentally slapping himself. What was he doing? He finally had everything he'd ever wanted within his grasp. Right there, in his hand, was a chance to have what his old master had denied him. All she would need was a little… tweaking…

Lucy stared at Natsu as he glared at the monster holding her. She could feel the power radiating off of him; it swept across everything in rising waves. Lucy faintly noticed the waves of magic acted differently when they reached her though, almost as if they were trying to wrap themselves around her. It should have been terrifying, but all she felt was gentle warmth. She couldn't believe the boy she'd met just that day was full of such potent magic.

Natsu could feel the strain of holding himself back. His magic had suddenly gone wild when he'd seen that goat-freak put his hands on Lucy. For some reason, the very act itself pissed him off, and Lucy's resistance only made him more so. But he couldn't just explode like he wanted to. What if he hurt Lucy with his fire? Igneel had warned him that of all elements, fire's hunger for more was almost unending. If he accidently let loose, would he be able to keep his fire from burning her?

He'd have to take that chance. Seeing Caprico about to snap out of whatever had caused him to freeze, Natsu finally allowed the restraint he'd placed on his magic to ease. The rush was almost overwhelming, and in the near ecstasy of pure magic he didn't notice his teeth sharpening to fangs or the scale-like patterns that began to crawl across his skin.

The prevailing silence, and the thoughts of those present, ended when Natsu opened his suddenly fanged mouth and the world exploded in a pillar of fire.

" **RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRHHHH!"**

Caprico broke and used his arms to block out the painfully bright, not to mention hot, light of the fire. Even then, behind two arms and a pair of sunglasses, the release from the pinkette was so immense Caprico still found himself blinded.

Lucy dropped to the ground screaming, momentarily forgotten and terrified. She hadn't expected her new friend to suddenly explode. The heat was so intense she didn't know how she wasn't burning to a crisp that very instant. Not knowing what else to do, Lucy curled into a ball and waited for the chaos to end.

The pillar of rising flames ended as the last reverberations of Natsu's roar faded away. Cloaked in crimson fire, the young pinkette launched himself at Caprico with a rumbling growl. Recovering quickly from his blindness and shock, the goat-man pushed his magic outward and sharply snapped an open hand down. His shock returned as Natsu seemed to shrug off the attack and proceeded to slam a fist into his jaw.

Caprico staggered back, more from increased shock than any real pain. The punch, for all its intensity and power, was still just the uncontrolled punch of a young child after all. Growling himself, Caprico slammed a punishing uppercut into Natsu's stomach. The fire-coated pinkette choked out spittle from the force of the strike, his fire immediately dissipating. Caprico snarled, tossing the pinkette away to roll like a ragdoll back the way he'd come.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, tears pouring as she watched her friend being attacked so viciously. Caprico huffed, straightening himself.

"I don't know how you nu-u-ullified my Human Subjuga-a-ation magic," the goat-man said. "And I don't particularly ca-a-are. For a-a-all your lightshow was impre-e-esive, you a-a-re still just a we-e-eak child. Now be-e-e a good boy and sta-a-ay down. Lucy-sa-a-ama and I will be going now."

Lucy could only watch, horrified, as the looming shadow of Caprico came to stand over her, leaning ever closer. Clenching her eyes shut she tried to call upon the twinkling star of her magic, but as much as she wanted to her panic and fear were veritable iron walls baring her from connecting to the fledgling power. All she could see and feel was a dark, empty blank.

The smile that grew on Caprico's face lacked anything that could ever be considered warmth or goodness. It was instead a macabre nightmare of triumph and possession. He raised a hand, sliding a finger under Lucy's chin. He pulled up so the young blonde turned to face him. Lucy refused to look at the horror in front of her, keeping her eyes down and away from the grinning Caprico.

"Now now, Lucy-sa-a-ama," Caprico cooed. "Don't be-e-e so stu-u-ubborn. I assure you we will become the be-e-est of friends soon. We will e-e-even share … e-e-everything." Lucy's tears continued to fall as her whole body shook from fear. Whatever this _thing_ meant, there was no way it was good for her. Lucy closed her eyes, refusing to surrender to the monster in front of her for as long as she could.

"FIRE DRAGON… **ROAR**!"

Lucy's eyes snapped open as she heard Natsu's scream. Before she could even look to her pinkheaded friend, there was a sudden rush of heat and flame as a massive wave of spinning fire crashed into Caprico and drove him back. The torrent of swirling flame continued for a few more moments, and although Lucy knew once again the fire blazing in front of her should be leaving burns, she didn't feel any pain. If they got out of this alive, and together, Lucy made a promise to herself to ask Natsu how that could be.

Natsu ended his attack as he felt the searing energy of his rampant magic empty away. His body ached from trying to handle so much power and he could feel the tiredness and fatigue settle into his bones. On top of that, his stomach still felt bruised and nauseous from Caprico's earlier punch.

' _Note to self,'_ he thought. _'Eating and fighting don't always go together.'_

As the magic fire died away, Natsu felt something he'd thought he'd never feel again. Cold fear. Icy fingers wrapped around his neck, squeezing, as the dragon slayer child looked into the billowing cloud of smoke and dust that had arisen from his roar.

Caprico stood, arms crossed in front of himself, looking nearly completely unharmed. His shirt had been burned away, true, and his fur was singed black in places, but on the whole the goat-man just looked pissed off. Natsu's mind refused to believe it. Besides Igneel, nothing had ever been able to stand up to his roar before. The young dragon slayer's fear deepened, as a realization slowly asserted itself into his thick skull.

 _'I'm can't beat him,'_ Natsu shouted internally. _'I can barely scratch him. How can I be this weak?'_ Before this train of thought could get too far, Natsu's natural stubborn streak kicked in. _'Even so, I'm still not gonna let him take Lucy!'_

With a haggard cry, Natsu pushed through the fatigue weighing his body down and began to stumble towards Caprico. The goat-man smirked before disappearing from Natsu's sight. Lucy gasped, the vanishing of Caprico causing her to lurch forward and reach for her endangered friend.

"Natsu! Watch out!"

Natsu felt the strike before he saw it. Caprico moved so fast that the young dragon slayer's untrained eyes couldn't keep up, leading him to being unable to dodge the punch sent his way. The fist buried itself in his right cheek, and for a few moments the world went dark for the pinkette. When his mind flickered back to consciousness, Natsu realized Caprico had him by the throat. He also realized the burning he felt in his lungs was not the familiar build-up of a fire dragon roar, but the twin organs screaming for air.

Caprico tightened his grip as the pink-haired boy in his grasp began to wake up and struggle. He increased the pressure slowly, wanting to enjoy the act. Lucy saw what was happening to Natsu and tried to get to her feet. She had to save him.

"Leave him alone!" Lucy screamed. "Please!" Caprico took a moment to glance at the wailing blonde girl. Then he turned back, without a word, and continued to choke the life out of the boy in his hands.

Lucy screamed louder, grasping hands outward. She couldn't reach Caprico or Natsu, but she couldn't do anything else but try. Her tears felt like a never-ending river.

Natsu's world became fuzzy. Caprico's grip was so tight that he couldn't even drag in a sliver of air at this point. He had long since passed the point of panic and had allowed his survival instincts to envelope him, for what good they did him. Natsu refused to acknowledge the blackness that was creeping in at the edges of his vision. That, however, didn't stop it from growing until the world was a mere pinprick of light.

' _I'm sorry… Lucy.'_

…

… _._

… _..._

"Rain of Light!"

All three combatants were unprepared for the shafts of shining light that came forth from seemingly nowhere and speared through Caprico. Natsu fell to the ground as Caprico reeled back from the searing pain shooting through his body. This was nothing like the pinkhead's attacks. Lucy scrambled forward, throwing her thin arms around Natsu's shoulders as the pinkette sucked in massive amounts of air. Still gasping for breath, Natsu looked over Lucy's trembling shoulders to see who, or what, had saved them from the goat-man.

Standing at the edge of the forest was an incredibly short old man. He had his arms crossed and was wearing a yellow and green gi under a blue jacket and sported a strange looking red hat on his head. The old man was giving the speared Caprico an enraged glare. A shining magic seal was hovering in front of him before it flickered away.

"Just what is the meaning of this?" the old man asked. Even though the demand, for it was not a question, wasn't directed towards them, both Natsu and Lucy found themselves freezing at the tone in the elderly man's voice. Caprico grit his teeth through the pulsating agony he felt as the spears of light flared.

"None… of your… business," he grunted out. Flexing his own magic, the goat-man slowly felt the light spears being pushed out of his body. With a painful burst, Caprico felt his magic eject the spears. Wheezing, he lurched around to face his new opponent.

"When the killing of children is involved, I will make it my business," the old man bellowed. A glistening, sparkling light flowed over the old man's clothes. As the flowing light descended, it left behind a billowing white robe with golden shoulder pads. The robe was furred on the edges, making the elderly man look slightly like a puffed up porcupine. When the robe was fully formed, a blue and silver badge came into being on the man's left breast. "And by the end of this… business, my friend, I think you will realize why those who commit acts of evil such as yourself fear the Wizard Saint Makarov Dreyar!"

Neither Natsu or Lucy knew what a wizard saint was, nor who Makarov Dreyar was, but if he was going to take care of Caprico they'd gladly let him. Lucy had calmed down enough, though still had herself wrapped around Natsu, to turn and watch the event before her unfold. Natsu hadn't taken his eyes off of Makarov since he'd caught sight of him. The guy may have been old, but he was radiating so much magic, and controlling it at that, that Natsu couldn't help but stare at the incredible sight. Deep inside of him, he felt what Igneel called his Dragon nod in respect.

Caprico, unlike Natsu and Lucy, reacted much more violently. As soon as he heard the name Makarov Dreyar, he launched himself at the tiny man. He was immediately smashed into the ground as Makarov inflated an arm and fist and used them like a giant hammer to pound him down. From under the giant-sized fist, Caprico managed to thrust out a hand and send a wave of his Human Subjugation magic at the wizard saint. Panic rolled through his body as instead of his magic causing Makarov to release him, the elderly man only seemed to crush him harder.

At this point, both children lost the ability to conceive of what was happening. The old man had smashed the goat-man like it was nothing!

Caprico felt Makarov open his fist, only to wrap giant fingers around him in a crushing grip. Yanking harshly, Makarov pulled the goat-man to him, still holding the unmovable glare from before. Caprico struggled against the grip, but it was no use against Makarov's inhuman strength. Huffing, the diminutive wizard saint stared into the goat-man's covered eyes, as if searching for something.

"As I suspected," Makarov said. Caprico's eyes widened behind their lenses; the wizard saint couldn't have discovered his secret already… could he? "You are more than you appear to be, aren't you?"

"You don't know anything old man!" Caprico shouted at the top of his lungs, his struggling renewed and vigorous. Makarov only smirked in response. Natsu and Lucy couldn't believe that the monster that had terrorized them earlier was now shaking and screaming in fear itself.

Makarov tossed Caprico to the ground, creating a crater, before shrinking his hand back to normal. The goat-man twitched, unable to do more. Stepping back, the wizard saint placed both hands in front of himself, palms flat and fingertips touching. The other three present could feel the tiny man's magic, already stiflingly thick in the air, increase. Lucy began to shake under the pressure, Natsu following soon after.

"I will not allow such abominable actions to go unpunished!" Makarov shouted, his magic coalescing into a shining light between his palms. "You do not deserve even the kindness of a lesson." Natsu and Lucy collapsed, unable to support themselves against the power of the wizard saint's magic. Fighting against unconsciousness, Natsu forced himself to watch what happened next.

Caprico pulled himself upright and painfully scrambled back, throwing up his hands to ward off whatever the wizard saint was about to unleash.

Natsu held onto Lucy, making sure his body protectively covered hers. The darkness from earlier was beginning to creep back into his vision.

Makarov pulled his hands back, then thrust them forward, and the magic that had been flowing around him erupted. Natsu couldn't keep his eyes open and felt himself slipping away. He could hardly hear what was going on, even with his enhanced senses.

"I invoke," he heard Makarov say. "Holy…"

Natsu passed out, not seeing or hearing what happened next.

What happened was this:

Makarov finished his spell, causing an explosion of light and power. Caprico felt the light slam into him, an overwhelming force. It didn't stop there, however. Caprico could feel the light burning through his fur, into his skin, and through his body. He could even feel the light touching his mind, his soul. And that is when his screaming really began.

Caprico felt the light tearing at the darkness inside of him, ripping it apart. He could do nothing as the unending pain climaxed and the being known as Caprico ceased to exist as its body split in two.

Makarov stood, after releasing his spell, and gazed upon what had been wrought. Lying on the ground were four bodies. Two were the children he had rescued. One was his opponent, the goat-man. The new body, the one he hadn't seen before, was an afro-ed man dressed in purple robes with white sleeves. The man had distinctive scar marks around his mouth, giving him a grimly smiling look. As Makarov calmly walked forward, the man's eyes shot open and he jumped up.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" the man shouted. Makarov raised an eyebrow in silent question. The strange man slammed his hands into his face, peeking one shaking eye between splayed fingers.

"You've killed me!"

Silent, Makarov took another step forward. The man stepped back, beginning to scream. Makarov watched as, without any warning, the man began to dissolve into mots of light. With each step, more of the man melted away.

"So this is the punishment of committing a taboo?" Makarov asked in understanding. The man continued screaming as the last of his body disappeared. As the disseverment reached his face, the man locked eyes with Makarov.

"Please! Help…" and he was gone.

Makarove stood, now alone in the clearing with three unconscious bodies. The wizard saint sighed ruefully as his official garb dissolved back into his regular clothing.

"Vacation my ass…"

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Outside of the Town of Lapis Bula – Sometime Later

Natsu shot awake with a gasp. He tried to sit up, but Lucy's still unconscious body, now having somehow moved to lying on top of his own, was too heavy.

"I see you've finally decided to join us."

Natsu wiggled around under Lucy until he could see the small old man from earlier. The man, Makarov if he'd heard right, gave him a wide smile.

"It's good to see you awake my boy," Makarov said. Natsu nodded slowly, eyes falling upon Lucy's still sleeping face. The dragon slayer's brow furrowed.

"Wait a minute… Who's us?" he asked, trying to keep his voice quiet.

"I belie-e-eve he is referring to me-e-e." Natsu's eyes widened at the sound of Caprico's voice. He'd thought the old man was going to take care of him. Twisting around, Natsu rolled on top of Lucy and glared up at the goat-man, who he hadn't realized was standing beside Makarov. Natsu raised a fist at the monster that had been tormenting him and his best friend before setting it on fire.

Or tried to at least. All he got was a sputtering flame instead of the small inferno he'd been going for.

"I'm warning you fuzzhead!" Natsu shouted, shaking his fist. "The old man might not have taken you out, but if you take one more step towards Lucy I'll clobber you!"

The goat-man raised his hands up in silent surrender, causing Natsu to narrow his eyes.

"I me-e-ean you no harm. While it is ha-a-ard to expla-a-ain, who you fought ear-r-rlier was not me-e-e," the goat-man said. Natsu shook his head in denial.

"Liar! You look and smell exactly like him," the dragon slayer shouted. "What are you trying to pull?"

Natsu realized his mistake when he felt Lucy begin to wiggle under him. Looking down, Natsu was met with a red-faced blonde. Before he could say anything, Lucy sent him flying with a kick to the stomach. Screaming, Natsu flew through the air before landing at Makarov's feet, all thoughts of attacking goat-men gone.

Tensing, Natsu looked up at the man who may or may not have saved him and Lucy. Makarov gave him another smile before reaching out an open hand.

"It looks like you two have quite the stories to tell," Makarov said. "If you so desire, I know just the place you can rest up. What do you say?"

Natsu's thoughts immediately flew to Igneel, who was still missing. Could he afford to just abandon the search for his father? He glanced over to the goat-man, but he was staring at Lucy through his now broken sunglasses. Natsu looked over to Lucy, who was looking from him to Makarov. She seemed to have no problem with the goat-man now.

Natsu could admit to being a little dense every once in a while, but even he could tell that the blonde girl was gazing at the old man with a tentatively hopeful look. Natsu guessed that was that.

Smiling, Natsu smacked his hand into Makarov's.

"Alright old man, let's see what you got!"

 **)|(**

 **Please RxR!**

 **Constructive criticism and questions are always welcome!**


	3. The Road to Magnolia

**.**

 **We are the 0bservanc3.**

 **We do NOT own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, nor any characters seen within this timeline.**

 **Well… perhaps one or two not seen elsewhere…**

 **Read on…**

 **And see how even small changes can alter the world.**

 **Fairy Tail – Changed Fate**

 **Ch.3 The Road to Magnolia**

 **)|(**

Narrator:

 _In a land, far far away, lies the Kingdom of Fiore—a small peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most magic is just merely a tool—a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art and they've devoted their lives to its practice._

 _These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that would no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name… is Fairy Tail._

YEAR X777 – Fiorian Countryside

"Are we there yet?"

"Natsu! Please stop asking that. It's getting annoying."

"What? We could have been at this Magnolia place already if I was leading."

"Do you even know where Magnolia is?"

"…"

"That's what I thought."

As he walked through the scenic Fiorian countryside with his three new travel companions Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of the Fairy Tail Guild, tried and failed to control a raging eye-twitch as he restrained his growing frustration. This was the eighth time the hyperactive pinkette had asked that aggravating question, the eighth time the sweet little blonde had pointed out his idiocy in doing so, and the eighth time he felt like strangling the boy.

When they had started their journey days ago, he hadn't had a second thought about taking the country roads instead of a train back to his children, he had still wanted to enjoy what little of his vacation he had left after all. But now… He desperately needed something to distract the pink-haired child.

Looking over to the still quiet member of their little troupe, the as-of-yet unexplained goat-man who was apparently not called Caprico, Makarov saw a possible solution to his problem. It would also satisfy his own curiosity.

"Tell me stranger," Makarov said, giving the quiet suit-wearing goat-man a friendly smile. "Are you ever going to tell us who you are? I think we'd all like to know at some point."

Lucy and Natsu tensed as they heard the question, each for their own reasons. Lucy still felt odd around the goat-man, though after Makarov had saved them the feelings she sensed were vastly different. Instead of giving off a wrongness that hung like a miasma, now the goat-man seemed warmly familiar, almost inviting.

She didn't quite know how to take the change, but she wanted to understand what was going on.

Natsu didn't trust the goat-man, regardless of what the old man said. He couldn't perceive any differences in the monster that had attacked them besides him obviously not trying anything now. He didn't like it. That was why he had refused to let his body completely relax since waking up, any time the fuzz-face even looked at Lucy he was ready to fight.

The goat-man formerly known as Caprico slowed until he came to a stop. Makarov, Natsu, and Lucy likewise paused in their trekking, though Natsu noticeably kept himself protectively in front of Lucy. Makarov peeked his hitherto closed eyes open a bit, lazily rolling them from the two children to whom he expected was much more than met the eye.

"Well?" Natsu spat out, glaring at the silently standing not-Caprico. "You gonna spit it out or what?" The goat-man left the pinkette's demand unanswered, instead turning to Lucy. Even through his broken shades, she could tell he was giving her an intense stare.

"Please Lucy-sa-a-ama," the not-Caprico began softly, bowing at the waist so smoothly both children realized the one they'd seen earlier was paltry in comparison. "Forgive my we-e-eakness, I could not prote-e-ect you as have I sworn to." The goat-man slowly fell to a knee before the blonde, keeping his head bowed.

In that moment, it clicked in Lucy's head. The familiarity she'd been trying to grasp finally made sense!

"C-Capricorn?" she asked, peeking her head out around Natsu. The young dragon slayer's head whipped around so fast the crack was nearly audible.

"Wait… So you know this creep Lucy?" Lucy took a step back, hands waving frantically.

"N-no! I mean, yes! I-I mean…" Makarov stared at the drama unfolding before him. He shook his head. Even out and away from his children, he couldn't catch a break. He watched, bemused, as Natsu latched onto Lucy and comically shook her side to side. There was no real anger in the boy's actions though, even with all his yelling the pink-haired boy was clearly making sure to handle the tiny blonde with care.

"Capricorn was it? That's your name?" Makarov finally asked. "If I remember correctly, that makes you—"

"Ye-e-es. I am a celestial spir-r-rit," Capricorn answered with a nod. Lucy shook off Natsu's grip and stared wide-eyed at the kneeling spirit as a memory flashed before her eyes.

 _ **Flashback**_

In a room that was a tasteful blend between luxurious and heartwarming simplicity, an ailing Layla Heartfilia sat in a pillow-covered bed with a young Lucy. The tiny blonde child fit snuggly in the crook of the her mother's arm as the two gazed at the brightly illustrated picture book in front of them.

"And this is a picture of the Heavenly Dancers Lucy. They can be seen spinning merrily in the sky if you go to the northern most parts of Iceberg, Seven, or the Pergrande Kingdom. See how they flow through the sky so beautifully?" Layla's voice, though weak from illness, was still soothing to the now sleepy child.

"Pretty… lights… Mama," Lucy mumbled drowsily, unable to focus on the curtains of light shown in the book. Her mother smiled gently, rubbing her blonde locks affectionately.

"It looks like someone needs to go to bed," Layla said. Lucy sluggishly pulled herself upright, signs of sleep fading immediately.

"No Mama, please! Not yet! Tell me one of your special stories. Please!" Lucy gave her mother what she knew was called her 'puppy-dog eyes.' The servants all said nothing could resist them. Her mother laughed softly, however, seemingly unaffected by the look. Lucy bowed her head as she felt sadness begin to gnaw at her; she didn't want to leave her mother… ever! Especially not when she was so sick with some strange disease even their best doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Oh… alright," Layla said after a moment. Lucy's drooping head snapped up, a beaming smile lighting up the room. Layla closed the picture book, slide it onto the bedside table, and then resituated herself and Lucy back to how they had been.

"Okay. Where should I begin?" Layla asked.

"At the beginning Mama! At the beginning!" Lucy laughed, waving her arms around exuberantly. Layla laughed as well, feeling the love she had for her daughter grow even more as she watched the little girl's excitement.

"Very well. Ahem… Once upon a time, there was a young woman who could speak to the stars…" Lucy leaned back, gazing up at her mother as she began the tale. She loved the look that filled her mother's eyes when she told these particular stories. It was one of blissful nostalgia and love.

"… The young woman, through many journeys and hardships, had met and gained the particular friendships of three very important guardians of the stars. Their names were Aquarius, Cancer, and Capricorn. Now, one day…"

The world blurred as her mother's voice slowly lulled Lucy into dreamland. She'd hear the rest of the much-loved story later.

 _ **Flashback END**_

"What happened to you Capricorn? Why did you attack me and Natsu?" Lucy asked as the memory receded, tears pricking at her eyes. Those stories had been her mother's way of recounting the adventures she'd enjoyed earlier in her life. In fact, those stories were the only reason she'd known what to do with Aquarius's key after her mother's death. "Mama always said you were supposed to be somewhere safe. What happened?"

"It is a sa-a-ad tale Lucy-sa-a-ama. Tell meh-eh-eh, did Lay-ay-ayla-sama ever speak to you of her disciples?" Capricorn asked, eye to eye with Lucy due to his kneeling. He sighed as she shook her head in the negative. This would take longer to explain than he'd thought.

"But I think I knew one." Lucy looked away. She still felt guilty over what she'd done to Spetto. She was also increasingly worried about what to do with Cancer. Unconsciously, her hand brushed the outside of the pocket where the two golden keys in her possession rested.

"I would guess tha-a-at was Gra-a-ammi-san correct?" Seeing the questioning look he was receiving, Capricorn elaborated. "Before… when I was… I watched a-a-as you summoned Aquarius."

"What does that have to do with somebody's grammy?" Natsu cut in, crossing his arms in aggravation. This was going too slow for his liking. Why couldn't people just get to the point already?

"Gra-a-ammi-san was one of Lay-ay-ayla-sama's three most devoted followers," Capricorn brayed, putting emphasis on the fact that he was speaking of a person, not someone's familial title. He could tell the pink-haired boy was very much the hotheaded, short-thinking type. "A-a-and this has e-e-everything to do with what ha-a-appened."

Hearing what he'd been waiting for, Makarov plopped himself down next to Lucy and Natsu, legs crossed and arms folded in clear indication he was ready to listen to more. Following his lead, the children also sat down, though Lucy had to pull Natsu down by his scarf. Capricorn nodded gratefully, taking a deep breath before he began.

"When Lay-ay-ayla-sama decided to reti-i-ire from magic, she entrusted her most pre-e-ecious treasures, the cele-e-estial keys of myself, Aquarius, and Cancer to three of her oldest and most devout followers. Besides Gra-a-ammi-san, there was Zoldeo-san and Spe-e-etto-san."

Lucy cringed when Spetto was mentioned, before shaking herself out of it as she realized what Capricorn had been thinking.

"Grammi was given Aquarius's key wasn't she?" Capricorn nodded, the question causing a slight unease to build in his stomach. Lucy-sama should have known this. "But that's wrong. Mama gave me Aquarius's key."

Capricorn froze for a second before recovering. That couldn't be right. From what he remembered, Grammi-san had been almost worshipful of Layla-sama. Aquarius's key couldn't have made its way back to Layla-sama unless…

"Spe-e-etto-san? She is the one you've me-e-et?" Capricorn asked, making sure he understood. Lucy gave the barest of nods. Snorting, Natsu shot up, flames wreathing his arms. Lucy scrambled away from the sudden burst, more out of shock than fear or pain, and slammed into Makarov. The diminutive old man looked unimpressed at the Natsu's outburst, merely patting Lucy on the back with an understanding smile.

"Argh! What does any of this have to do with you trying to kill us?" Natsu shouted again. He'd tried to sit and listen as Lucy had quietly asked him to when she'd pulled him down, but he just couldn't sit still any longer. This guy's story was boring… and he was getting hungry again.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted at her friend for his rudeness. She really wanted to know how all of this was connected too, but she wasn't going to go yelling at people.

"No, he is corre-e-ect Lucy-sa-a-ama. I should ge-e-et to the point," Capricorn humbly admitted. "Lay-ay-ayla-sama gave my key to her disciple known as Zoldeo-san. For a time, our partnership was a ste-e-eady one..."

As a teller of tales himself, and remembering what had happened after his defeat of 'Caprico,' Makarov could already guess at what was going to be revealed next. With a grace born of years of being a Guild Master, that is to say using his Giant Magic to manhandle troublemakers into submission, he used an enlarged hand to 'gently' flatten Natsu to the ground.

He didn't think Lucy would want Natsu distracting her with his flames again. She needed to face what was surely coming.

Muffled shouts could be heard from under the inflated appendage before Natsu managed to wiggle his head out and into fresh air. His eyes were comically spiraled out. Lucy spared her pink-haired friend a glance before returning her full attention back to Capricorn. The celestial spirit bowed his head, though the blonde could tell this time it was once more in shame than servitude.

"To my sha-a-ame, Zoldeo-san began to slip onto a da-a-arker path," Capricorn continued. "A day came when I could no longer abi-i-ide the evils he committed in sear-ear-earch of more power. As he ha-a-ad abandoned the lessons of Lay-ay-ayla-sama, I ha-a-ad no choice but to abandon him in tur-ur-urn."

Makarov slowly nodded his head, the celestial spirit's tale continuing as he had thought it would. The man he had expelled from Capricorn earlier had had an incredibly dark taint to his magic. It would make sense that a being such as a celestial spirit would choose to leave a master like that.

Lucy roughly rubbed at her eyes, angrily wiping away tears that were rebelliously attempting to make a break for freedom. She wanted to be strong now and refused to let them fall this time; she didn't want to be such a crybaby anymore. She felt like that's all she'd been doing since her mother's death.

Even though she felt that Capricorn's story was going to get worse, he was still here now and still another connection to her mother. She would be strong. For her mother. For Capricorn. For herself.

"Zoldeo-san somehow discovered my pla-a-ans," Capricorn further explained. "In a fit of ra-a-age he cast one of the da-a-arker magics he'd learned to force my coopera-a-ation."

Lucy, unable to stop herself, ran forward and wrapped one of Capricorn's hands in both of her own. Looking up, the celestial spirit was struck by twin watery brown orbs overflowing with concern. For a moment, he was taken back to a time many years before, when an older pair of those same orbs had looked at him in much the same way. Capricorn pushed the memory down and gave Lucy a gentle smile, using his free hand to gently pat her grasping ones.

"The ma-a-agic Zoldeo-san used, however, ha-a-ad a price," Capricorn said.

"Taboo," Makarov interrupted, voice firm in statement. Still under the diminutive man's giant-sized palm, Natsu finally shook off the dizziness the unexpected slap down had produced. That word, 'taboo,' it sounded like something Igneel had warned him about. He tried to remember exactly what he'd been told, but it must not have been interesting enough at the time to catch his attention because he couldn't remember anything about it immediately.

"W-what's a taboo again?" Natsu asked, voice shaky as he still recovered from Makarov's 'gentle' handling. Seeing that the fiery pinkette was too out of it to cause too much of a ruckus, Makarov removed the giant appendage that had been holding him down, shrinking it back down to normal size as he returned it to his side.

Clearing his throat, Makarov glanced at the kneeling Capricorn, silently asking if he could cut in and explain. The celestial spirit gave a solemn nod in response. Returning the nod, Makarov looked to the two children now staring him down with wide-eyed inquiry.

"The first thing you must understand is that magic is alive," Makarov began, easily ensnaring his audience of two. He had slipped into his grandfatherly storytelling voice, and it was enrapturing. He moved his steady gaze from Natsu to Lucy and back again; making sure both children understood the importance of what he was saying.

"Its purpose is ever-evolving with the tides. It can be the blackest darkness, or the brightest light… all depending on the caster. However, as a living being, even magic finds itself abhorrent to commit certain acts. These actions have come to be referred to as 'taboos,' and heavy prices are imposed upon those who break them." Lucy glanced with worried eyes at Capricorn, who had stood and moved to stand beside Makarov, before returning her attention to short, elderly man.

"These punishments are different for every embodiment of magic, by that I mean what most people conceptualize as types of magic," Makarov continued. "But in all cases the result is quite severe, if not deadly."

"For Zoldeo-san," Capricorn picked up, sliding in before questions could be asked. "Bre-e-eaking the taboo of his particular ma-a-agic caused him to be imprisoned within m-y-y-y body. When that happened, the ma-a-agical backlash suppressed my own consciousness until it was too late to overcome his."

"So you were punished for something he did?" Lucy asked. "That's not fair!" Capricorn gave the small blonde a soft smile. She was so much like his old mistress. He felt a little more of the darkness left behind by Zoldeo-san fade away.

"I will not quibble over fairness. Zoldeo-san, you see, lost the ability to exist outside of a host body," Capricorn said, shaking his head slightly. "From what Makarov-sama tells meh-eh-eh, when he was expe-e-elled from my body, he… ceased to be."

Lucy's face bled white in shock. She was relatively new to magic, having only summoned Aquarius a handful of times after her mother's death when the weight of loneliness become too much, but it sounded like committing a taboo was beyond horrible. She couldn't believe this Zoldeo person had actually done it, knowledgeably or not.

"W-what's to keep s-someone who d-doesn't know any better… s-someone like me… f-from committing a taboo?" Lucy asked through fear-filled stuttering. Her earlier strength had fled in the face of this new fear. "I-I'm scared. I don't want something l-like that to h-happen to me!"

Lucy was unprepared for the wave of heat that washed over her. Turning to the sudden heat's source, Lucy was unable to stop herself from gasping at what she saw.

Natsu had burst into flame once again. Unlike previously however, there was barely any part of him that wasn't on fire this time. Along the lines of the pinkette's young body were writhing tongues of flame that grew and shrank in wild patterns. His pink hair was glowing with the flames that danced through the spikey locks. His eyes, Lucy saw, were no longer their usual coal black. Instead, they had turned a burning emerald!

"I remember now…" Natsu said, growling out the words while aiming a scowl at Capricorn. "I remember what Igneel told me before. He told me committing a taboo of magic was going against one's own self. A self-muti…mutal… Gah! A ripping apart of something inside!"

Natsu's flames died down to a low smoldering as he turned to lock his gaze with Lucy's. Unseen by either child, both Makarov and Capricorn imperceptibly relaxed. The boy's abrupt eruption had caught them by surprise, and they had been seconds away from reacting. Harshly.

"But don't be scared Lucy," Natsu reassured, flames returning as the pinkette's voice grew stronger. "Igneel warned me that a mage would know if they approach their magic's taboo instinctually. That's why I tried to ask you for some fire earlier. I know I'm not allowed to eat my own flames, even if Igneel hadn't told me not to, because something inside of me tells me it's wrong."

Lucy hesitantly nodded her head. Natsu might have overreacted, again, but she had to admit she felt a lot better now. She was glad he was around.

"Um… Natsu?" Lucy finally asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah Lucy?" Natsu asked back, cocking his head slightly.

"Can you put yourself out? I don't want to catch on fire."

Makarov shook his head again for what felt like the umpteenth time. Natsu was now spastically patted himself down, trying and snuff out his flames. He began running around while doing so, accidently following Lucy as she scrambled away shrieking from the smoking embers flying off of him. The elderly Guild Master could already tell the pinkette would be the cause of a great many headaches if he accepted the offer he was going to make at the end of their little journey. That reminded him…

"Okay! Now that we've got all of that sorted, why don't we continue on our way?" Makarov said with a large smile, interrupting the shenanigans before him. Natsu gave a loud shout of joy at this, spewing a tongue of flame into the air as he did so.

Unable to contain his energy any longer, he began to run circles around the other three present. Shaking her head at her friend's craziness, Lucy suddenly blinked as she belatedly remembered an important issue she'd meant to bring up when she'd realized who Capricorn was.

"Um, Capricorn?"

"Yes Lucy-sa-a-ama?" the celestial spirit replied, quickly squatting down to become eye-level with the blonde.

"Uh… How are you… er, here right now?" Lucy asked, unsure of how to phrase her question without sounding insulting. "Mama always taught me that the spirits need the magic of a summoner to appear in Earthland. But no one has summoned you, have they?" Capricorn nodded, pleased with the observance of the celestial mage-in-training. He dug into one of his pockets before pulling out what he'd been searching for and showing it to the inquisitive girl.

In his hand was a golden key. It looked much like the others Lucy had seen so far, with its own certain differences. The bow was ornate, with the crest of the goat in black stylized on a white background. The other end of the key, the bit, was a beautifully crafted goat's head, with the horns curled inwards over a rounded snout.

"Your mo-o-other would be proud of your considera-a-ation for celestial spirits Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, causing the blonde's face to flush. "But do not worr-rr-rry about me for now. The holy magic Makarov-sama used to expe-e-el Zoldeo-sama super-char-r-rged my magical reserves. I can easily accompany you to your destina-a-ation."

Lucy smiled brightly, glad that her new friend, and another connection to her mother, wasn't in danger of leaving her any time soon. Her eyes shot open, however, when Capricorn nudged his key-laden hand towards her. The obvious meaning behind such an action brought her up short.

"W-what are you doing Capricorn?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama. I would be ho-o-onored if you would make a contract with meh-eh-eh," the celestial spirit said with a solemn expression. Even if he hadn't sworn an oath to Layla-sama, Lucy-sama had more than proved herself to be a worthy partner.

Lucy stood frozen, unable to think. At Capricorn's offer, the guilt over what she had done to Spetto, stealing Cancer's key and running away so crassly, washed over her, a heavy wave of shame and remorse. She found herself shaking her head as her hands gently pushed away the proffered key.

"I-I can't accept," Lucy whispered, head bowing. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the type of mage you'd want to have a contract with."

Natsu, for all his wild running in circles, had still been listening in on what Lucy and the goat-man had been talking about thanks to his advanced hearing. A frown pulled at his previously grinning face as he heard what Lucy had just said. Without a second thought, he adjusted his course and swerved towards the blonde. With ease, he wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist as he passed her and hauled her up onto his shoulder.

"AH! Natsu! What are you doing?" Lucy screamed, arm's pinwheeling in distress.

"No one talks bad about my friends Lucy!" Natsu shouted into the air, once again running in circles. "Not even they can. So until you take back what you said, I'm not letting you down."

Capricorn watched as the blonde was carted around by the pinkette, who ignored her cries to be put down. He wondered what she meant when she said she wasn't the type of mage he'd want. Hearing a sigh beside him, the celestial spirit turned to see Makarov had moved himself so they were both at the center of the pinkette's new running circle.

"That boy doesn't seem to ever run out of energy does he?" Capricorn shook his head in bemused agreement. Sighing himself, the celestial spirit took a long step forward and reached out a hand. Effortlessly, he snatched Lucy out of Natsu's grasp as the boy ran by, easily cradling the little girl in his arms. The pinkette was halfway to completing another circle before he realized his prisoner had been rescued.

"My apologies Natsu-san. But I must insist that I spe-e-eak with Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, eyeing the fuming pink-haired boy for a moment before turning back to the blonde in his arms. "Now, what did you mean Lucy-sa-a-ama? What type of mage a-a-are you?"

Lucy tried hard to avoid looking into the questioning gazes directed toward her. The more she sat in silence, however, the more she felt the weight of Capricorn's gaze overpowering the paralyzing burden of her guilt. Against her will, she heard herself begin to mumble.

"What was that Lucy-sa-a-ama?" Capricorn asked. "You must spe-e-eak louder please."

"I said…" Lucy said, raising her voice higher than she meant to. Her emotions were beginning to steadily shift, anger at being put on the spot so suddenly boiling up. "That I'm the type of mage that steals from others. I'm a no-good, rotten thief and not fit to wield the power of the celestial spirits!"

Silence reigned in the wake of Lucy's screamed profession. Makarov quirked a brow, intrigued by this new bit of information. While they had just met, he couldn't see the blonde he'd been watching over as a thief. Certainly not.

Natsu gave a huff and crossed his arms in frustration. He was still sore that Capricorn had snatched Lucy right out of his arms, and hardly heard, or cared about, what Lucy had just shouted. She was his friend, so whatever she did couldn't be that bad.

Capricorn stood, an unmoving statue. Even when Lucy began squirming in his arms, taking his silence for revulsion and choosing to remove herself from his presence, he did not move save for tightening his grip.

"Let me go Capricorn!" Lucy shouted, shoving against the motionless spirit.

Natsu, seeing his friend becoming upset, moved to help her out of Capricorn's now vice-like grip. He was immediately stopped, however, by Makarov firmly putting an arm across his chest, baring his way.

"This is between the two of them my boy," Makarov said. "It's best that we let them settle it."

"But look," Natsu argued. "He's not doing anything and she wants down. I'm not gonna let goat-face mistreat Lucy, no matter who he is or what she says about herself."

Makarov shook his head at the pinkette's stubbornness. While such concern would be excellent in the future, right now it was rather annoying. Faster than an untrained eye could follow, he moved his arm and wrapped it around the boy's scarf-clad neck just tight enough he couldn't escape. After a few moments of futile struggling, Natsu gave up with another frustrated huff.

"Learn to see with more than your eyes Natsu," Makarov said. "Sometimes what you see on the surface is less than what is happening underneath."

Natsu considered the words the old man had said. They sounded an awful lot like those sayings that Igneel used to spout every once in awhile. Seeing as how his father had usually been right about whatever he'd been talking about, he decided try and do what Makarov was talking about.

Opening his eyes wide, Natsu really looked at what was going on, this time trying to see if he could sense anything more.

Capricorn stood, ramrod straight, one arm curled under Lucy while the other wrapped around her upper body. His face was impassive, and due to his sunglasses, though broken, his eyes couldn't be seen. Lucy on the other hand was a flurry of movement. Her arms and legs jerked out as far as they could from her cradled position. She had begun to wiggle her body around, but Capricorn's grip on her afforded no room for escape.

Natsu looked, looked, and looked some more. He even tried closing his eyes for a second but nothing came to him. More frustrated than ever, he settled for directing a pout at Makarov. He was ignored.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, finally breaking his silence. Lucy ceased her wriggling, her eyes locked on the spirit's face. "I cannot ace-e-ept your answer." In a fluid motion Capricorn dropped to his knees, righted Lucy, placed her on her feet, grabbed both of her shoulders in a firm grip, and stared into her wide eyes.

"You don't understand Capricorn!" Lucy pleaded, thrusting her hand into the dress pocket where the golden keys lay. "I stole from another celestial mage. I took a key right out of their hands and just… just ran away!"

Strangely enough, Lucy didn't feel any tears threatening to fall at her confession. In fact, she felt a bit lighter, as if finally revealing her crime had somehow eased her soul. Still, she now feared the reaction from the spirit before her, who besides being one of the strongest she knew of was also once one of her mother's partners.

There was no way in her mind that she could ever compare to the perfection that her mother had been, especially with what she had done.

Capricorn took a hand and pulled at the long beard that curled down from his chin in thought. This development did concern him. He had pledged himself, in front of Layla-sama no less, to serve Lucy-sama if she ever took the path to become a celestial mage. Even so, if she really had stolen a key from another celestial mage, a crime like that could not go unpunished.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, coming to a decision. "Show meh-eh-eh the key you say you stole."

Nodding sadly, Lucy gingerly felt around in her pocket and extracted the Golden Key of the Giant Crab. Hesitantly, she held it out to Capricorn with both hands.

"W-when I ran away from home, I ran into Ms. Spetto," Lucy said, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. "She tried to stop me. When I refused to listen, she showed me Cancer's key. Something happened, and it ended up in my hand. I panicked and ran away before I could give it back."

Behind his darkened lenses, Capricorn blinked in mild surprise. He couldn't believe it. Both of his old friends, Layla-sama's longtime partners, had found their way to Lucy-sama already? Vaguely, the celestial spirit thought he felt the hand of something indescribable at work before internally shaking the notion away. Something Lucy-sama had said had caught his ear.

"You said something ha-a-appened?" the spirit asked. "Please, Lucy-sa-a-ama, could you elaborate?" Lucy paused before reluctantly nodding. Capricorn returned the nod encouragingly.

"When I saw Cancer's key, I thought I heard… I mean, I felt…" Lucy stumbled over the memory. Thinking back, she really couldn't place what she had felt. When she thought about it, it was almost like… "I-I was called. And… and I answered."

Capricorn leaned back, releasing Lucy's shoulders. He stood smoothly, easily holding the blonde's searching gaze. He'd thought as much.

"Call him, Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "Open Cancer's gate."

Lucy blinked, unsure she had heard the demand correctly. He wanted her to summon Cancer? There was no way she could do that! It wasn't even that she didn't have the energy this time; Makarov had seen and heard her hunger at the start of their journey and had given her a large slice of traveler's bread and a small helping of cheese to eat.

She couldn't call Cancer because she had stolen him! Not to mention he must still have had a contract with Spetto.

"I-I can't do that!" Lucy sputtered out. "Didn't you hear me? I stole his key. He must hate me now. And what about his contract with Ms. Spetto?

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, stern voice brooking no argument. "Summon Cancer. Trust meh-eh-eh."

Shaking her head, Lucy raised the golden key high. Fearful of what was going to happen, or in this case wasn't going to happen, she closed her eyes.

"Open!" Lucy shouted, slashing the key downward. "Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!"

A loud _ding-dong_ resounded through the air as a bright flash of light erupted in between Lucy and Capricorn. When the light receded, Lucy fell back in shock at what she saw. Standing before her was a celestial spirit in all its glory.

Cancer wore a blue striped shirt with dark pants and stood with his arms dramatically crossed in front of him, two crab-themed scissors in both hands lazily snipping the air. His tan skin gleamed in the sunlight and his braided red hair was pulled back into two shapes that sort-of resembled a crab's pincers. Like Capricorn, he wore a pair of sunglasses, though his were tinted green instead of black. Eerily, six crab legs sprouted from his back, flexing slightly.

"What's up… baby?" Cancer said, confident voice sounding smooth. "I've been waiting for you to summon me."

Lucy was in a state of shock. She'd done it. She'd actually summoned Cancer! Forcing herself to concentrate, Lucy roughly shook her head.

"W-why are you here?" she asked, pointing a shaking finger at the newly appeared spirit. "And how could I summon you? Aren't you contracted to Ms. Spetto?"

Cancer glanced over to Capricorn, who had moved slightly away from the two to give them space. The suit-wearing spirit gave an understanding nod.

"Well, you see baby," Cancer said, using a pair of scissors to point at himself. "My contract with ol' Ms. Spetto was set to expire under two conditions. One, you had to become a celestial spirit mage. Two, you had to accept my key of your own free will. You did both baby, so here I am, all yours."

"What do you mean accept your key?" Lucy asked. "I stole it when Ms. Spetto showed it to me. How can you stand to look at me?"

Cancer shook his head, waving away Lucy's question with a suave smile.

"Who do you think was calling when you saw my key baby?" Cancer asked. Lucy's eyes widened as she made the connection. "That's right, it was me. I called down from the Celestial Spirit World and you answered. That's something only a worthy mage can do baby."

Capricorn took a step forward, placing a soothing hand on Lucy's head. It was at that moment that blonde realized her body had been shaking. Her mind had become a chaotic storm of crashing fears and sparking hopes. She hadn't even considered the fact that Cancer's key had come to her in acceptance. The last of the weighty guilt she'd been carrying since leaving her father's house started to fall away.

"You see Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "I cannot accept your a-a-answer because you are wrong. You did not ste-e-eal Cancer's key, he gave it to you, just as I wish to do. We will gla-a-adly be your spirits, if you'll have us."

Lucy didn't even try fight the tears as they poured down her red cheeks. She flung herself at the two spirits before her, both catching and supporting her. She allowed herself to cry, the guilt finally leaving her completely. Her sobs quickly became laughs, and soon she had wrapped both Capricorn and Cancer in as much of a hug as her small body could produce.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Lucy cried out, alternatively squeezing Capricorn and Cancer. "I swear I'll be the best partner you've ever had!"

"Of that, there can be no doubt Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn agreed.

"Oh yeah, we're gonna be hot baby!" Cancer said. The celestial spirit paused before a look of concern crossed his face. "Um… Miss Lucy? I think you shou-"

Cancer's warning was cut off as he dissolved in a blooming cloud of light mots. A second later, Lucy collapsed into Capricorn's arms, unconscious.

"What happened?" Natsu shouted, slipping free from Makarov's grip and rushing the remaining spirit. "What's wrong with Lucy?"

Capricorn allowed himself a small smile at the sight of the panicking pinkette. Lucy-sama had definitely chosen well with this one. He would prove to be a good friend.

"Worry not Natsu-san. Lucy-sa-a-ama has merely exhausted her magical reser-er-erves keeping Cancer's gate open too long," Capricorn explained, once again cradling Lucy in his arms. "With re-e-est, she will be fine."

Makarov stepped forward, joining the three. He was pleased that everything had worked out. While he hadn't been expecting so much to happen from simply asking Capricorn his name, it looked like everything had turned out for the best.

"Now that that's over with, why don't we continue on with our journey?" Makarov asked. "If we hurry, Lucy should wake up in plenty of time before we reach Magnolia. I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss the first view of the place from the outskirts. I remember it being breathtaking the first time I saw it, and I grew up there."

Capricorn nodded, quietly beginning to walk the way their group had been heading before everything had started. Natsu, seeing his friend being carried away, was quick to follow with a shout.

Makarov smiled, easily falling into step with the long-legged spirit and the quick-stepping pinkette. Come what trouble they'd surely raise, he was glad that he'd been able to save these children. He couldn't wait to see what their futures would bring. Out of the corner of his eye, the diminutive Guild Master could see Natsu eagerly looking all around.

"Are we there yet?"

Mavis help him.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Outskirts of Magnolia

By the time the small group reached the edges of Magnolia, the sun had already begun to set over the mountains to the west. The sky blushed with vibrant reds and oranges, and to the east the first hints of stars could be seen on the horizon. The lightest of breezes brushed through the air, carrying night's inevitable coolness.

Lucy had long since woken up from her magical exhaustion. For the last few miles, she had finally felt strong enough to switch between gleefully sitting on Capricorn's shoulders and chase and be chased by Natsu and his boundless energy.

The young dragon slayer had been ecstatic when Lucy had woken up. He had bugged her relentlessly to play with him and alleviate the boredom he swore was killing him. Many times the blonde had acquiesced to her pink-haired friend's demands and the two would count clouds, chase bugs, or play spotting games.

Although, this didn't mean Lucy had been unafraid to give him a hard kick whenever he pushed her buttons one too many times.

At this point, however, Lucy and even Natsu were running on fumes.

Makarov reached the top of the last hill that had appeared before the group first. He stopped, gazing out at the sight before him while he waited for the lagging children and spirit. As Lucy and Natsu tiredly crested the hill, they both gasped.

Laid out before them was the sprawling beauty that was Magnolia Town. Buildings of all shapes and sizes covered every visible piece of land, though the leafy tops of trees could be seen popping up here and there. The streets were bustling with the tiny forms of hundreds of the town's residence.

A towering masterpiece of stone and marble speared skyward from the town's center; Makarov had said it was called Kardia Cathedral. A network of canals cut through the townscape, snaking here and there before leading to the sea at Magnolia's back. And there, by the waterfront, standing so tall it could be seen even from so far away, stood the layered building they were headed for.

The sight was the most awe-inspiring Lucy had ever seen. Her father's mansion and all the land under the Heartfilia name now looked even more hollow and cold compared to what she could see now. She couldn't wait to actually walk the streets and experience everything.

Natsu could hardly comprehend what he was seeing. Igneel had sent him on runs to human towns once or twice, but none of the ones close to their nest had been anywhere near as massive as this one was. He'd been expecting a few dozen wooden buildings huddled together, but Magnolia wasn't like that at all, not by a long shot.

He sniffed hard as a gust of wind brought hints of the town's smell to his nose. Natsu felt overwhelmed as he caught a whiff of delicious meats, smoky fires, vegetables of all levels of freshness, more people than he'd ever smelled before, and something that stank worse than any of Igneel's waste pits.

Capricorn stood, admiring the town he hadn't seen since one of Layla-sama's adventures. It had grown wonderfully since then, and he knew that his new mistress would enjoy living there. Just as he finished that thought, the spirit felt a familiar twinge wrack his body.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, getting the attention of all present. "I'm afraid I must le-e-eave you now. The energy from Makarov-sama's spell has finally worn awa-a-ay and I must return to the Celestial Spirit World."

Reaching into the same pocket inside his still ratty suit-jacket as before, the celestial spirit once more pulled out his key. The fading sunlight caught the gold and the key glistened. Lucy smiled upon seeing what Capricorn had pulled out, no longer plagued by feelings of unworthiness.

Returning the smile with a small one of his own, Capricorn handed the key to Lucy. She took it gladly and held it aloft. After examining the key closely, she tenderly slipped it into the same pocket in her dress that held the keys of Aquarius and Cancer.

For a moment, she thought she felt the keys heat up, as if happy to be together again. Lucy shook it off as her imagination.

"I will be rea-e-edy to be called upon within a few day's time Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "And please remember to summon Cancer and finalize a contract with him when you fee-ee-eel you are ready. I know he is looking forward to it."

"Thank you Capricorn," Lucy said. "And don't worry, I'll settle things with Cancer as soon as I can. That's a promise."

With one last nod, Capricorn bent his arms behind him, much like Lucy had seen her father's butlers do, and scattered into pieces of light. Now numbering three, the trio took one last moment to admire the sight that is Magnolia.

"Alright kids," Makarov said after a moment, pointing a finger towards the sky. "Let's go!" With that, he shot forward.

For a little man, it took Lucy climbing on Natsu's back and the young dragon slayer running at a good pace for the two to keep up.

 **)|(**

YEAR X777 – Magnolia

Makarov wasted no time in covering the distance from Magnolia's outskirts to the town's true edges. When he reached the first cobbled street, the Guild Master finally slowed enough for the children to easily follow him. Natsu and Lucy had their heads on swivels as every new building or street offered something that caught their attention.

"So old man," Natsu suddenly said, leaning back with his head resting in his hands. "Is this place you talked about really all that?"

After they had woken up after the battle with the possessed Capricorn, Makarov had offered to take both Natsu and Lucy to his guild. Natsu hadn't ever heard of such a place before, but Lucy's excited agreement had made the decision to go for him. Now, with the sights of all of Magnolia around him, he wondered how anything could stand out in a place like Magnolia.

He hoped this was worth it. Not to mention he still had to hunt down Igneel with Lucy.

Makarov continued walking through the streets at a steady pace, nodding to show he'd heard the question asked, though he didn't answer it. The group even crossed over a bridge of one of the canals before the diminutive man turned momentarily to glance back at his two followers before continuing on.

"Tell me Natsu, Lucy," Makarov began while continuing to walk, causing both children to rush forward so they could hear what was said. "Do fairies have tails? More than that, do they even exist?"

Caught off guard by the question, neither Lucy nor Natsu could think to answer as Makarov continued to lead them through the winding the streets of Magnolia. Absorbed in trying to figure out what they'd been asked, neither child realized their guide had ceased walking until they ran into his back. Shaking themselves out, both were struck speechless when they saw why Makarov had stopped.

The layered building they had just been able to see from the outskirts of Magnolia now towered above them. It rose up on three levels, each smaller than the last, finally tapering off with a large golden teardrop-like dome at the top. The building's roofing was a dark red-brown slate, but the cream color of its walls balanced it out. From the third story Lucy could see three flags hanging, one was the Fiorian flag, but the other two carried symbols she'd never seen before. Decorative shutters that gave the impression of red hearts covered the windows on the ground floor and the large front door, painted a brilliant crimson, also carried a heart motif.

It was in a word… breath-taking.

"Nobody knows for sure," Makarov continued suddenly, pulling Natsu and Lucy's attention back to him. "So it will forever remain a mystery. Unless, of course, we try to find out. And that could become an amazing adventure. Our members are the ones who would want to find out."

"What?" Natsu blurted. "I don't get it-OW! Lucy? Why'd you hit me?"

Lucy put down the hand she'd used to smack Natsu upside the head. She looked to Makarov. The old man smiled at the blonde, happy to see more and more of her fiery spirit.

"Welcome, both of you, to a place filled with excitement, fun, and family," Makarov said, moving to the red double doors of the building's main entrance. He placed both of his hands on the painted wood. "A place built on the ideas of bonds, love, and hard work."

Lucy found herself holding her breath her anticipation was so great. Natsu was vibrating in place. Although the old man had lost him there for a second, he liked what he was hearing now. This place might not be so bad after all, especially if Lucy liked it too.

Makarov pushed on the doors, causing them to swing open with a mighty boom! The thunderous roaring of celebrations burst forth from inside the building, but even then, both Lucy and Natsu had no trouble with hearing the bellow from the old man who had brought them so far.

"Welcome to… FAIRY TAIL!"

 **)|(**

 **Please RxR!**

 **Constructive criticism and questions are always welcome!**

 **The real fun begins NOW!**


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